


Take Me Home

by White_raven_1188



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Modern Girl in Middle Earth, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-02-14 15:20:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 65,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2196801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/White_raven_1188/pseuds/White_raven_1188
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A modern girl finds herself transported to Middle Earth, just in time to accompany 13 dwarves and a hobbit on a quest. What follows is a transformative journey for her. Fili/Kili/OFC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

As Gwyndolyn Murphy, or Gwyn as her friends called her, was driving home from class one night, she was complaining to herself about the particularly horrible, rainy weather. Glancing at the digital clock set in the dashboard of her car she muttered a curse when she saw the time. _11:30_ , she thought bitterly, _why did Professor Lautner have to be giving the lecture tonight? He never actually makes a point, and he kept us a full hour after class, because he couldn't shut up! We were supposed to be learning about government interactions, not whatever anecdote he told. I don't even remember. They should have let us out of class early because of the weather! Now I'm stuck driving home in the worst possible weather!_ The occasional flash of lightning illuminated the streets, making Gwyn jump each time, while the rain came down faster than the windshield wipers of Gwyn's car could swish it away.

Gwyn was so lost in her own thoughts complaining about the weather and her professors that she did not see the other car run a red light. Just as she noticed the headlights coming towards her side of the car she slammed on the brakes, but it was too late. She felt the two cars collide, and then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 1

When Gwyn came to she looked around and did not recognize her surroundings. There were no signs of cars, or streetlights, or even anything that could be called a street by modern standards. Gwyn looked around, and that's when she saw the door, built into the side of a hill. It was a very nice round door, painted green; with a shiny brass doorknob right in the center…it looked remarkably familiar. She went and knocked on the door, and a small man with large hairy feet answered. There was a great deal of singing and shouting coming from inside the hobbit hole, and it was indeed a hobbit hole, with a very irritated homeowner.

"Excuse me, sir, I'm sorry to disturb you, but could you please tell me where I am?" she asked, feeling that in this instance erring on the side of formality would be best.

"Of course it would happen that just when I have a house full of DWARVES of all things, a lunatic knocks on my door and wants to know where she is!" the creature muttered to himself, "you're at my home, in Hobbiton, in the Shire!" he snapped. Just then, a very tall man with a long grey beard peered around the corner. His face fell, as though he had been expecting someone else at the door.

Gwyn thought she must be going out of her mind. _Did he SERIOUSLY just say I was in HOBBITON, in THE SHIRE?! I think I'm losing my mind…_ Gwyn was muttering to herself, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Let the poor girl in Bilbo, who knows, she may serve some purpose," the old man said. There was something about the way he was looking at her that made Gwyn think that this man, Gandalf the Grey she was sure, would be a good place to start to figure out how she came to Middle Earth, and why she was there.

Bilbo Baggins begrudgingly stepped aside, allowing the increasingly flustered Gwyn entry into his home. Gwyn was very glad that she had a history of public speaking and performing on stage, so that she was able to disguise her discomfort at 12 pairs of dwarvish eyes turning to see the newcomer to the party. She was saved further embarrassment when the doorbell rang.

Once Thorin Oakenshield had settled himself in the hobbit's dining room, discussing his plan to reclaim Erebor, he suddenly looked up at Gwyn and demanded that she explain who she was and what she was doing mingling with his Company.

"My name is Gwyndolyn Murphy, but everyone calls me Gwyn. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing here. Last thing I remember, I was on my way home from class, next thing I know, and I'm in Bilbo's front garden."

Many of the different dwarves laughed at the girl's implausible story, but Gandalf sent them all a quelling glare. Gwyn smirked at the reactions of many of the dwarves, who seemed to become rather ashamed of their disbelief, even though she herself couldn't believe that she wasn't dreaming - she'd checked - it had hurt when she pinched herself after Bilbo told her that she was in Hobbiton. Suddenly, she had a rather devious idea, and her smirk grew.

"I'll bet you each five gold coins that I can name you all," she announced to the group. All of the dwarves scoffed, which only made Gwyn more willing to humiliate them. Pointing to each dwarf in turn, she called out "Fili, Kili, Dwalin, Balin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur…." she paused, letting the dwarves think they had won, when she turned and said "and I mustn't forget the leader of the Company, Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain." Gandalf began laughing quite loudly at the dwarves' outrage. As Gwyn began collecting the gold, she caught the eye of Kili, so she tipped him a rather cheeky, flirtatious wink.

While Bilbo was reading the contract outlining his duties as the Company's burglar, Gwyn kept watching him closely. When he reached the part of the contract about possible injuries, like incineration and then Bofur began describing the agony of the dragon Smaug's fire, Gwyn motioned to Fili to toss her a cushion, which he did. As Bilbo was trying to compose himself, she did some quick mental math. When Bilbo started to faint, Gwyn slid the cushion across the floor to where she had estimated his head would land, making it there just in time to prevent a hobbit headache. When she received some questioning looks from the others at how she knew the hobbit was going to faint, she just shrugged.

The next morning, she set out with the Company for the Lonely Mountain. She had asked Gandalf to send her home the night before, but he had replied that he could not, at least not until after the dwarves finished their quest. Gwyn had very nearly begged Thorin to let her accompany the group, even though she didn't have any skills that would help the journey along. She did not mention the fact that she already knew how the quest was going to end, thanks to a childhood love of reading.

As the Company was riding along, Nori started a wager that Bilbo Baggins would not be joining their company as a burglar. Gwyn smirked and countered his wager, saying that she thought they would have a hobbit serve as a burglar. Several other dwarves chimed in, most of them agreeing with Nori. When Bilbo came running after the dwarves Gwyn just started to laugh at the amazement on so many of their faces.

* * *

The rain was pouring down, making everyone grumpy, even Fili and Kili, with whom Gwyn had come to associate the brightening of spirits through goof-ball antics. Dori was whining to Gandalf about the "deluge," and Gwyn had had enough of the complaints, and she could tell that Thorin had also.

"Is this a deluge to you, Master Dwarf? Where I come from, this is a light spring shower! I mean, I've seen it rain so hard that you can't see your hand in front of your face, and the wind was so strong that it fell sideways!" Gwyn announced, earning much astonishment from her companions. She even went so far as to push back the hood on her cloak, which had been loaned to her by Fili.

"I think the girl's lying," Dwalin growled.

"Lying am I? Well, it just so happens that that was the kind of weather I was traveling in when I wound up here! Thunder, lightning, wind, rain, it was awful! So yes, compared to the kinds of weather I've traveled in, this is a light spring shower!" Gwyn retorted.

* * *

When the Company stopped to camp for the night the rain was still falling, so Gwyn walked away from the group, so that she could quietly enjoy the sensation of rain falling on her face. She had always enjoyed the rain, finding it very soothing, but that was usually when she was safe and warm in her house in front of a roaring fire in the wood stove. However, Gwyn was determined not let her spirits fall, at least, not publicly. She knew that Thorin and the others doubted her survival skills, and she would NOT prove them right. She was so lost in her thoughts Gwyn did not hear the whisper-quiet footsteps of a certain burglar.

"Do you miss your home as much as I miss Bag End?" the question startled Gwyn from her contemplation. However, his question was along the same vein as her thoughts, so she simply began voicing her thoughts out loud.

"It's odd," Gwyn murmured, "because I know I _should_ miss my home, but at the same time, the longer I spend on this quest, the less I find myself thinking of home. Perhaps part of that is simply because Thorin has us travelling from first light until late, and I'm just too tired to think of home, but I think part of it might just be I'm getting used to Middle Earth. I just wish there was more I could do on this quest! I am so useless!" she had started out speaking quietly, almost to herself, but the more frustrated she became the louder her voice got.

"I can sympathize completely with your feelings of uselessness. But I think you might have a part to play on this mad journey yet, otherwise Gandalf wouldn't have argued so hard with Thorin to let you come along." Bilbo said.

It was true. Gandalf had vehemently defended his selection of Bilbo as the burglar, and of Gwyn, though he neglected to assign her a role in the Company. Thorin was unhappy at the hobbit, frequently calling him a burden, but he would scarcely even look at Gwyn.

"I'm sorry I shouted. I'm just so confused about everything, and no matter how many times I ask, Gandalf never tells me anything!" Giving herself a shake, Gwyn turned to face Bilbo more fully. "Was there something you needed?"

"Oh, yes. Camp has been built, and Thorin wants us to stay close. Shall we head back?"

"Sure. It's no good being out here alone with my thoughts, they just get more snarled and tangled the longer I think them." With that, the two misfits headed back to the dwarves' camp.

Immediately upon their return, Fili and Kili noticed that Gwyn was soaking wet. Each brother took one of her arms, and led her over to the fire that Gloin had miraculously been able to build, given the damp wood. After Bombur had announced that supper was ready to be dished up, Kili rushed to get a bowl of stew for Gwyn, claiming that she needed to stay as close to the fire as she could stand so that she could dry out a bit. Gwyn noted with some surprise that her hair had been short and straight, just barely reached past her jawbone when she arrived in Middle Earth, but now it fell in wild waves to her shoulders, and had already begun to dry. The Company had only been on their journey a couple of weeks at most, so Gwyn was confused about her hair's quick growth, and resolved to ask Gandalf about it later.


	3. Chapter 2

The next few days of the journey passed uneventfully, although thankfully the rain had stopped. When the Company had stopped to make camp one night, Gandalf walked over to the ruins of a farm house. He urged Thorin to keep moving, but the stubbornness of dwarves was legendary, and Thorin mulishly ignored the wizard. Frustrated by the response, Gandalf stormed off, snapping at Bilbo on the way. Gwyn shrugged to herself as she set about removing their packs from the backs of the ponies before Fili and Kili took them to a better grazing spot. She thought that much of the tension that ran through the Company resulted from the sensitivity of competing male egos, but no one asked her opinion.

When Gwyn realized where they had stopped to make camp though, she began voicing concerns that perhaps Gandalf had been right. Thorin ignored her advice as easily as he'd ignored Gandalf's. Gwyn huffed, marveling at how utterly pig-headed their leader was.

* * *

Later that night, Fili came running back to the camp, from where he had supposedly been watching the ponies with Kili, to inform the Company that their burglar was in a great deal of troll-shaped trouble. She pointedly rolled her eyes towards Thorin, the "Gandalf and I told you so" blatant in the action. Even though she was unarmed, she still ran with the Company to her friend's aid. When she reached the trolls' clearing she quickly took stock of the situation. There was a fire in the center of the clearing, and the thirteen dwarves were swarmed around the trolls' feet, most of them hacking and slashing with various blades, and Ori aiming his slingshot at the trolls' faces. Bilbo was over by the pen the trolls were keeping the ponies in, trying to figure out the best way to free the beasts.

Thinking quickly, Gwyn began to climb a nearby tree. Once she deemed the height sufficient, she began to drop stones that she had collected upon the heads of the trolls, distracting them. However, even with the advantage of superior numbers, the Company was forced to lay down arms to save Bilbo. One of the trolls reached up into Gwyn's tree and snatched her from her perch.

Gwyn was mildly humiliated that she was tied into a bag up to her neck about to be eaten by trolls. When she heard Bilbo start to try and stall for time before the dawn she cheered inwardly, until the troll that had grabbed her from the tree (Gwyn had heard the other trolls refer to him as Bert) picked her up once again and was threatening to just eat her raw. Just then, she saw movement from the corner of her eye, and realized that it was Gandalf. Unfortunately for Gwyn, the troll did not release her as he was turned to stone with the first rays of the dawn, which led to a great deal of being shaken about. Once the rest of the Company was free from their bags and the roasting spit, she was still imprisoned within the grasp of the stone troll. She hollered down to the group, asking someone to cut her down, because thankfully, the troll had grasped her by the bag, and not 'round her body, otherwise she would have never been freed. Gandalf obliged, apologizing for his absentmindedness. Once Gwyn was freed of the bag as well, she realized that she was clothed in nothing but her bra and panties, wondering when about how and when the trolls had undressed her without her knowing. She surmised she must have lost consciousness at some point, most likely from the smell of the trolls. She could feel the eyes of every member of the Company on her as she set about looking for her clothes.

"Are you lot enjoying the view?" she snapped, "Well, get a good long look, because that's all you're getting!" Gwyn declared, finally locating the pile of her clothes. Bofur began laughing heartily at her sass, and as she dressed, Gwyn was starting to feel like maybe she did belong, after all.

When the Company located the trolls' cave, Gwyn opted to stand outside, stating wryly that she would rather not be reminded of any ex-boyfriends by virtue of the stench emanating from the cave. She could hear the dwarves chattering about the gold in the hoard, and something about "making a long term deposit," but Gwyn found herself paying more attention to the sounds of the forest around them. As such, she could hear something approaching rapidly through the brush. Just as she was about to sound an alarm, Gandalf and the others appeared. Fili and Kili were just about to ask why she seemed tense as a bowstring, when Gandalf called out to prepare for an attack.


	4. Chapter 3

Not for the first time, Gwyn cursed her lack of weaponry. _Hell_ , she thought, _even the hobbit has a knife now, and I'm left defenseless!_ Gwyn had seen Gandalf give a short blade to Bilbo from the corner of her eye shortly after the Wizard emerged from the trolls' cave. She began scanning the ground for anything that she could use to defend herself, when a strange man riding a sled pulled by large rabbits burst into the clearing. Gandalf immediately relaxed and declared the newcomer was his friend, Radagast the Brown, a fellow Wizard. Gwyn mentally smacked herself on the forehead for not remembering that bit of the story.

While Gandalf and Radagast discussed the sickness of the Greenwood, Gwyn kept one ear on the Wizards and one ear on the sounds of the forest. She could hear movement approaching the Company from above the cave. Once again, just as she was about to call attention to it, the noise stopped, and a long, loud howl sounded nearby. Bilbo was obviously nervous about the sound and its proximity, and this nervousness was increased one hundred-fold when Bofur mentioned that the howl was not made by a wolf, but by a warg. After the warg-scout appeared over the crest of the cave and was promptly dispatched by Thorin and Dwalin, Thorin and Gandalf began to argue over how the warg and subsequent orc pack could have known about the quest. Gwyn rolled her eyes and, with a shrill whistle, drew attention to the fact that the Company needed to hoof it away from the carcass, before the rest of the wargs found them. Radagast volunteered to lead the wargs and their orcish riders away so that the Company could escape.

* * *

While Radagast and his Rhosgobel rabbits began leading the wargs and riders away, the dwarves, girl, hobbit, and Wizard began running, taking cover behind large rock formations. It looked to Gwyn that the orcs had caught on surprisingly quickly to Radagast's plan, and were splintering off to look for the dwarves. Quickly scanning the situation, Gwyn had a brilliantly stupid idea, thinking of something she'd heard about werewolves answering the call of their own. She wondered if the wargs were that stupid. _Only one way to find out_ , she mentally shrugged, before motioning to get Thorin's attention. He looked dubious about her plan after she whispered it to him, but allowed her to proceed. After mapping the area, Gwyn cupped her hands near her mouth, and released a howl that was a remarkable imitation of the wargs' calls. The brilliant trick to her plan was the fact that Gwyn could throw her voice, and so her howl sounded off to the right of the pack. When the creatures began following the sound of her call she did a mental victory dance. The Company quickly scurried to the next rocky outcropping, and Gwyn repeated her trick, this time sending the pack off in the opposite direction than they had been heading in.

After Gwyn's trick had worked a second time, the Company looked at her in astonishment, to which she shrugged. Her triumph was short-lived however, because soon after that, she could hear a warg and rider scenting for the Company from the top of the very rock they were hiding behind. As Thorin motioned to Kili to shoot the beast, Gwyn snuck over to Fili and borrowed one of his many long knives and snuck around behind where she calculated the beast and rider would fall. She caught Kili's eye and suggested, using modified sign language, that he aim for the warg's throat. Thorin gave the signal, and the warg fell, an arrow embedded perfectly in its voice box, silencing it. Just as the orc was about to scream, alerting the rest of the pack to the Company's whereabouts, Gwyn used Fili's borrowed knife to slit the orc's throat from behind. Again, her actions were met with looks of amazement. Gwyn rolled her eyes before informing Fili that she was going to hang on to his knife for the time being. He did not have time to respond, as they were soon set upon by more of the pack. Fili's long knife (which seemed to be more of a short sword to Gwyn) was somewhat unwieldy in her hands, but Gwyn was able to effectively defend herself.

Suddenly, Gandalf's head popped up from behind a rock, calling the Company over. With Kili covering the retreat, Gwyn heard the sounds of horns being sounded and horse hooves as she vaulted over the rock Gandalf appeared behind, and she slid down a hidden chute, landing gracefully on her feet at the bottom. One by one, the rest of the Company slid down, most of them landing in a heap at the bottom. Gwyn passed the borrowed knife back to Fili with her thanks when he finally extricated himself from the pile of dwarves.

"It was my pleasure, Miss Gwyn," he responded with a smile, "although, if I may ask, how did you think to slit that orc's throat?" She smiled and shrugged as Kili joined his brother and Gwyn.

Thorin marched over and was quite angry at Gwyn, and at Gandalf. "What in Mahal's name was that?! Never have I seen such utter stupidity on a field of battle!" Gwyn bristled, and the rest of the Company began watching with a certain amount of wariness.

"Well, I'm sorry I just saved EVERYBODY'S lives with my foolishness! If I hadn't slit the orc's throat, we would have had even more trouble, because he would have alerted the others to our location!" Gwyn snapped. Many members of the Company nodded in agreement with her reasoning.

Just then, Dwalin called from the back of the cave they were hidden in, asking if they should follow the path he had found. Before anyone had time to answer, Gwyn stormed off, angrily brushing past Dwalin. She could hear Fili and Kili both following closely behind her, and the rest of the Company behind them, and Gandalf, Bilbo, and Thorin bringing up the rear. Fili and Kili caught up to her, and they were trying to placate Gwyn, and calm her from what was revealing itself to be a truly formidable temper.

Gwyn was the first of the Company to spot the end of the tunnel they were in, so she was the first to see the Valley of Imladris. She took a deep breath of clean, fresh air, and turned to Fili and Kili, scowl replaced with a bright smile. She began laughing at the brothers' responses to her sudden shift in mood. While Gwyn was pleased at the turn of events, Thorin's already dark look grew even darker at his realization of the fact that Gandalf had led the dwarves straight to the elves.


	5. Chapter 4

The dwarves had just crossed the threshold into the courtyard of Rivendell when a tall, well-dressed elf with an intricate circlet resting on his head appeared. Gandalf greeted the elf as a friend and asked to speak to Lord Elrond, the master of Rivendell. The elf, Lindir, Gwyn realized, said that Lord Elrond was not at home. Just then, the elven horns the Company had heard earlier sounded, and armored elves mounted on horses crossed the bridge into the courtyard. The dwarves quickly circled up, facing outward, drawing their assorted weapons. Fili and Kili shunted Gwyn behind them to protect her. Gwyn, personally, did not see what all the fuss was about, until the elves began circling their horses around the dwarves. That was when Gwyn began to get a bit nervous.

Lord Elrond dismounted his horse, and was speaking in Elvish with Gandalf. From his tone Gwyn could tell that he was being hospitable, but Gloin heard insult in the elf's voice, and the red-haired dwarf began bristling at the perceived slight. Gandalf rolled his eyes and heaved a long suffering sigh, explaining that Lord Elrond had offered the Company of dwarves food and lodging. The dwarves briefly debated the situation amongst themselves, before they lowered their weapons and allowed the elves to lead them to a dining porch, where a light supper had been prepared.

Gwyn thought the Elvish harps and flutes were very soothing, and she quickly found herself relaxing. She was seated between Fili and Kili, and as the dinner progressed, she grew bolder and more flirtatious. Until this point in the journey Gwyn had mostly been quiet, occasionally surprising the others, as she had with the attitude she had shown while searching for her clothes in the trolls' clearing. However, she found herself adapting to the journey and to the company she traveled with, and as she adapted she became more comfortable with speaking her mind.

Gwyn and the other members of the Company seated at the long table were chatting comfortably when Kili was caught staring at the elven musicians, the elf-maid playing the harp especially. At Dwalin's blank stare Kili began hem and haw, acting as though he didn't find the elves at all appealing. Gwyn, from her spot between Kili and his brother, each with an arm draped around her casually, began to smirk. Dwalin raised an eyebrow at her mischievous expression, and in response she subtly winked. Turning slightly towards Kili, she asked, still smirking, "Well, if you don't like elf-maids, what do you like?" The rest of the table began to laugh heartily at Gwyn's boldness, surprised though they were at it, when Fili and Kili both turned to her, matching her smirk with their own, and said "Why, Gwyn, surely you've realized that you are the very maid we have dreamed about, since even before we knew you!"

Gwyn's eyes widened briefly before she shot back with "If that's true, then what are you two going to do about it?" Fili and Kili were not expecting such a response, so they could not answer. Bofur nodded approvingly at the cheekiness of the response, as the rest of the table began laughing again. When Gwyn looked down at her plate to pick up another bite of elven bread, the two brothers shot each other a significant look over her head. For all of their purported cluelessness, few of the dwarves at the table missed the look, and after Gwyn excused herself, and the brothers wandered off to speak to their uncle, Nori flashed a shark-like grin at the others, and soon wagers were being made, as to how long the three young members of the Company would be dancing around each other.

* * *

After leaving the dining porch, Gwyn somehow found her way to the women's bathing chambers. She stripped out of her clothes and waded into the warm, lavender scented water. As she luxuriated in the water, Gwyn found herself thinking back on the journey thus far, and she found her face flushing from the heat of the water and from thoughts of her audacity at dinner. She could not believe her boldness in response to Fili's and Kili's flirtatious attentions. As she scrubbed her skin of the grime of weeks on the road, Gwyn wondered if they had merely been teasing her, or if there was some truth to their words. If Gwyn was going to be truly honest with herself, she wasn't sure which option she preferred. She also wasn't sure which brother she preferred, she was equally attracted to both brothers, and that confused her.

Gwyn emerged from the bath a considerable time later, clean and smelling faintly of lavender. She wrapped herself in a towel, and decided to apply one of the lotions she found nearby, which also smelled of lavender. Gwyn sat before a small vanity tucked into an alcove of the bathing chambers, and began to comb out her hair, musing all the while. When she had arrived in Middle Earth, Gwyn's hair had been cut into a neat bob, just barely reaching below her jaw. Now it reached past her shoulder blades in gentle waves. Gwyn also noticed that she was leaner and lightly muscled, like a dancer. Somewhere along the journey to Middle Earth, Gwyn's glasses had been lost, but she found herself not needing them. It was as if her eyesight had somehow completely corrected itself, granting her perfect vision.

Once Gwyn had completely untangled her hair, she moved to begin redressing, unhappy at the thought of putting on her dirty clothes. However, when she reached the spot where she had left them in a pile on the floor, they were gone. Instead, Gwyn found a neatly folded pile of clothes, obviously meant for her. In the place of her jeans, she found soft leggings, in place of her t-shirt there was a soft tunic and light undershirt. Her chunky, heeled boots had been replaced with lighter weight moccasin-like boots, that she was sure would protect her feet more comfortably than her original boots had. There was also a chainmail shirt, leather bracers for her forearms, a sturdy but flexible leather corset, and a belt. All of these clothes were woven in dappled shades of green, brown, grey, and black which would provide camouflage on the journey. The leather bracers and corset were tooled with intricate designs that reminded Gwyn of the Celtic knots that she admired from her home. Folded up nearby Gwyn saw a leather coat, similar to what the dwarves wore, lined with soft fur. Mercifully, whoever had taken her old clothes, _probably to be burned,_ Gwyn thought, had left her bra. Underneath the neatly folded pile of new clothes, Gwyn also found some soft cotton underwear. Dressing quickly, Gwyn decided to leave off the bracers and chailmail off until the Company departed from Rivendell.

Fully dressed in her new clothes, all of which fit her perfectly, Gwyn began making her way towards the veranda where the Company would be sleeping during their stay in Rivendell. Rivendell was huge, but all Gwyn had to do was to listen for boisterous dwarven laughter, and eventually she found the others. What her new boots lacked in height, they made up for in stealth. She quietly crept up on the dwarves, before loudly clearing her throat. It pleased her greatly when several members of the Company, including Dwalin, jumped in surprise. Suddenly, she was very aware of 14 pairs of eyes staring at her new attire. Emboldened by the feelings of being clean and wearing clean clothes, she gave a little spin. Bofur and Nori catcalled her, while many of the others applauded the transformation. Poor little Ori stutteringly told her that her new clothes suited her quite well. Bilbo exclaimed that she was like a whole new person, and that she seemed much more comfortable. She smiled and thanked everyone for their compliments, throwing winks to Bofur and Nori, who both pretended to swoon. Of all the members of the Company, Thorin, Dwalin, Fili, and Kili were silent, though for different reasons. Thorin and Dwalin were coolly assessing the suitability of her clothes for their journey, while Fili and Kili were stunned into muteness. They soon recovered themselves, and rushed over to begin their flirtations with Gwyn anew.

Soon the various members of the Company began falling asleep, their snores punctuating the growing stillness of the night. Gwyn, Fili, and Kili stayed up talking much later than the others. The brothers had been explaining dwarven customs to Gwyn, particularly those surrounding courtship. Eventually though, Gwyn began dozing off as well. She heard a bit of shuffling, and some muffled whispers, but she was too tired to question it. She fell into a deeper sleep, unaware of the fact that she was sandwiched between Fili and Kili, their combined warmth granting her a more comfortable night than she'd had since before arriving in Middle Earth.

* * *

The next morning, Gwyn awoke, refreshed, when the dwarves began their own morning rituals. Stretching, Gwyn finally noticed that there two bedrolls on either side of the one Gandalf had managed to scrounge up for her at the start of the journey. She recognized them as belonging to Fili and Kili, and she felt herself flush, though whether it was from embarrassment or something else, she couldn't say. Noticing that she was awake, Fili and Kili made their ways over to her.

"Gwyn, I don't mean to alarm you, but you seem to have shrunk in the night!" Kili exclaimed, looking at her. It was true, without the extra inches provided by her old boots, Gwyn was now only slightly taller than Bilbo. Gwyn laughed and pointed out that her old boots granted her the extra height. Fili and Kili both draped an easy arm around her shoulders as the Company headed back to the dining porch for breakfast. Thorin, Dwalin, and Balin watched the trio's interactions with sharp eyes.

After breakfast, the dwarves split up to resupply for when the Company set off on their journey again. Gwyn was wandering aimlessly through the halls of Rivendell when she encountered Lord Elrond.

"Good morning my lord," Gwyn said quietly.

"Good morning to you as well, Mistress Gwyndolyn, was it? You are the girl not from Middle Earth travelling with the company of dwarves, are you not?" Elrond asked.

"I am my lord, although I usually go by Gwyn. I wanted to thank you on behalf of my self and my companions for your hospitality."

"You are most welcome, Mistress Gwyn. Tell me, how are you finding your journey?"

"To be perfectly honest my lord, I am still quite confused as to my role on this quest. I am not a warrior, nor am I a tracker, nor do I have any other useful skills for the dwarves' purposes," Gwyn answered. While the pair were conversing, they also began walking. Lord Elrond seemed to be guiding Gwyn somewhere, but she was not sure where.

"You may find, my dear, that you have skills you do not know you possess. You may surprise yourself," Lord Elrond replied with a small smirk.

"Somehow, I doubt that. I mean, back home I was a student. I read and researched things all day. That does not a warrior make," Gwyn replied.

"Do you find yourself missing your home? Do you wish you could go back?" the elf lord questioned.

"Yeah, I do miss home, and I am worried about my family. I have no idea if they know where I am, or how they're handling my disappearance. I don't even know if time passes the same way here as it does there. For all I know, it could be an hour later there, even though weeks have passed here. That being said, if I were given the choice, I'm not sure I would go back. It's a bit strange, but I almost feel more at home _here_ than I ever did when I was actually at home. I mean, I'm even physically changing to fit in better here. And then there's the fact that these clothes _mysteriously_ fit me perfectly," at that she turned to Lord Elrond with a raised eyebrow. He simply smiled serenely, gesturing for her to enter the doors they had reached during their conversation. As she entered, Gwyn realized that Lord Elrond had led her to the training grounds.

Looking around, Gwyn noticed Gandalf, Thorin, Dwalin, Fili and Kili were standing near a table looking at something arrayed on top. Approaching the group, she saw the rest of the Company in bleachers nearby. As she drew near, Gandalf was the first person to see her. He strode over to her, commenting on her new clothes, and stating that they suited her quite well. He led her over to the table, upon which were arrayed a variety of weapons, including knives of several different sizes and shapes, a bow carved from rich, dark wood, and twin swords in their sheaths.

"We figure it's probably a good idea if you know how to fight, so we're all going to teach you!" Kili exclaimed enthusiastically. Fili smiled, while Thorin and Dwalin merely nodded. Gwyn raised an incredulous eyebrow before looking at the weapons on the table. She began with the bow, hefting it in her right hand, examining it closely.

"Short, recurve bow, lightweight but sturdy," Gwyn muttered to herself, as she tested the bowstring, "good tension, the design of the bow allows for more power behind each arrow, especially if it's overdrawn." She picked up an arrow, examining it as well, "The design of the bow combined with the particular fletching on the arrows would provide for a quieter release than most recurve bows typically allow, which would be good for stealth attacks." Nocking the arrow, she quickly took aim at a target at the end of the range, smoothly drew the bowstring taut, and loosed the arrow, striking the target dead center. Three more arrows quickly followed, all striking the center of the target.

Setting down the bow, Gwyn turned her attention to the various knives. So intent was she in her examination, she completely missed the looks of disbelief exchanged between the other members of the Company, nor did she see the knowing smiles upon the faces of Gandalf and Lord Elrond. There were four very short knives that tapered sharply from the hilt to the tip. Picking one of the knives up, Gwyn began muttering to herself again, "small throwing knives, meant to be concealed in the boot, one on each side of the calf." Spinning around towards the target again, she drew her left arm across her body and released the knife in her hand, striking the target near her cluster of arrows. Moving on to two of the longer knives she commented that their long, thin blades would be ideal for slipping between an enemy's ribs, puncturing a lung. The design of those knives, she noted, meant that they could be concealed easily within bracers, like those she had found the night before. They lacked a cross guard, simply transitioning smoothly from handle to blade. The last two knives she saw were very similar to the Bowie knives she knew from home, the blades wide and slightly curved, but sharpened only on one edge. Their sheaths were designed to be strapped around the thigh, accessible through the slits in the sides of a tunic. The last knife she came to was unique in its shape. It had a thin, short, tapered blade but the cross guard was what drew her attention. The cross guard was gently arched on either side of the grip, and Gwyn blushed as she realized it was meant to be concealed in a bodice, resting between a woman's breasts.

Finishing her assessment of the assorted knives, Gwyn began to study the twin swords. "These are strange blades, not of Dwarven make like Fili's swords, these were made by the smiths of Gondolin. They are lightweight, but I'd reckon they would be strong enough to withstand any opponent." Holding the sheathed swords up to eye-level, Gwyn's eyes widened. "These swords can be united at the pommel, creating one double ended sword! When the blades are united, it seems as though the double sword could be used almost like a staff, while separately the swords could be used for both offense and defense." Drawing the swords, Gwyn began to move, almost as though dancing, through a series of postures, demonstrating the uses of the blades. When she united the swords, her movements changed, relying less on her own movements, and more on the design of the weapon.

She dimly heard an impressed whistle from nearby, and blinking, she began to become more aware of her surroundings. Realizing what had just happened, she separated the double sword and sheathed the blades. Turning sharply to Gandalf she demanded, "How did I know all that?! I have never handled weapons like this before IN MY LIFE, so how the hell did I know the different purposes and hiding places for all these knives, how did I know what to look for in a bow, and more importantly, how in the name of God did I know how to use the twin swords, because these particular swords are very unique in their design?! I want answers Gandalf!" Gwyn was breathing heavily, but Gandalf just smiled serenely before excusing himself. Lord Elrond also took his leave of the Company. Gwyn was just about to start shouting abuse at their retreating backs when Dwalin cleared his throat sharply.

"That was an impressive display of skills and knowledge of weaponry, lass, but what are you going to do if you are disarmed? I'd wager you still need to learn hand to hand combat."

Gwyn's eyes hardened and she moved to the center of the training room. Several members of the Company, including Fili, Kili, Thorin, Dwalin, Gloin, Bofur, and Nori surrounded her. _Circle of Death_ , Gwyn thought, _this will be fun_. Allowing a small smirk to grace her lips, she closed her eyes, listening closely to the opponents surrounding her. The dwarves around her looked confused at her actions, but they soon began attacking her from all sides. She gracefully dodged their blows, while managing to land powerful hits of her own. Nori and Bofur were the first two attackers to leave the ring, followed by Gloin. Kili was expelled when Gwyn nailed him in the stomach with a horse kick when he tried to attack her from behind, while Fili simultaneously came at her side. Gwyn grabbed Fili's arm, pinning it behind him, before tossing him from the ring. The brothers both laughed at the ferocity in Gwyn's eyes as she faced down Thorin. While her attention was centered on their leader, Dwalin crept up behind her and wrapped his huge forearm around her neck. Turning her head slightly to the side so that the large dwarf was not cutting off her air supply, Gwyn stomped on one of his feet, hard, before grounding herself and tossing Dwalin to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Chuckling breathlessly at the dwarf's attempts to regain the air she had knocked from his lungs, Gwyn refocused on Thorin, now the only assailant left. The two opponents circled each other, looking for openings in the other's guard, when Thorin rushed at her like a charging bull. He was obviously counting on her being caught off guard by his actions, but Gwyn merely grasped Thorin by the collar of his tunic, planted a foot in his stomach, and allowed his momentum to throw her backwards. Gwyn then used the foot in his midsection and her grip on his collar to throw him across the training grounds. As Thorin landed hard Gwyn continued her backwards roll and got to her feet. She was just about to declare her victory over the dwarves when Gwyn herself suddenly hit the ground hard as she was tackled from the side.

Gwyn felt large hands pinning her wrists to the ground as a weight settled on her midsection. Looking up, she saw Kili smiling down at her. She smirked up at him, and asked, "What's the problem? Don't you know what to do when you've got a girl underneath you?" Kili smirked and began to describe exactly what he would do to a girl in Gwyn's position. While Kili was distracted, Gwyn discreetly shifted beneath him, wrapping her right foot around Kili's leg as he straddling her. Once she was in position, Gwyn pushed up powerfully, flipping them so that she was straddling Kili. His eyes widened when she asked him if he yielded. He conceded defeat and she stood gracefully before helping Kili up.

Gwyn was covered in a sheen of sweat from her exertions, her hair sticking to her face and neck, and she was out of breath. Fili and Kili each draped an arm around her shoulders, laughing at how much she surprised everyone with her skills. She heard Gandalf and Lord Elrond laughing from the doorway. Turning, she noticed the creeping wariness in the expressions of the dwarves and the hobbit, but she simply shrugged. The elf-lord and the Wizard approached her, praising her skills.

"Did I not say that you would surprise yourself, Mistress Gwyn? It seems as though I was right, and you had skills you did not know you possessed," Lord Elrond said. "Those weapons have been sitting in my armory for ages, and since you were so skillful with them, they are my gift to you."

"I could not accept such generosity my lord," Gwyn demurred, "and I still wish to know how it was that I knew how to use the weapons, however, I am willing to wait for my answers, for the time being." When the others were confused about her change in attitude she explained, "The nice thing about sparring is that it forces a person to focus on the immediate future, where the next attack will come from and how to defend against it, while also analyzing your opponent's weaknesses. Today's matches allowed me to realize that I will get my answers when Gandalf is ready to give them, even if I want them now, Gandalf has deemed that I am not yet ready for them, so I shall wait. However, I reserve the right to request a sparring match with anyone in the Company, should the Wizard prove to be too frustrating." The others laughed, and agreed that her attitude had much improved after the vigorous exercise. As the Company began filing out to continue with their day, Gwyn hung back to speak with Lord Elrond.

"Mistress Gwyn, I must insist that you accept my gift of these weapons. They are perfectly suited to you, and they will be happier being of use on your quest than if they were to remain in my armory," Lord Elrond said. Realizing that to refuse the elf-lord's generosity a second time would be exceedingly rude, Gwyn nodded, thanking him.

"I would ask a favor my lord. I have heard stories of your skills in the healing arts, and I fear the Company is woefully undersupplied in this respect, but I would like your permission to raid your store cupboards to pack a small satchel with healing plants, especially the herb athelas. If we have already encountered one orc pack, there will surely be more, and I would feel more at ease knowing we would be able to heal any resulting injuries," Gwyn requested quietly.

"Certainly Mistress Gwyn. I will pack the satchel myself. I will have it prepared before you set off again," Lord Elrond said, holding up a hand to stop her protests. "You will need other supplies as well, so I will leave you to pack those. When you return to your sleeping quarters you will find a new pack and bedroll ready for your use." Gwyn stammered her thanks before the regal elf walked away.

Grabbing her new weapons, Gwyn began to make her way to the dwarves' veranda, before going to the bathing chambers. Once she was clean and redressed it was time for supper. Gwyn's stomach growled, as she had not eaten since breakfast. On her way to the dining porch, Gwyn encountered Gandalf, who offered to escort her to supper.

"I overheard you asking Lord Elrond for healing plants for the journey. I was particularly intrigued to hear you request athelas. Whatever for, may I ask?"

"As I said to Lord Elrond, I would feel more at ease simply knowing that we had it, should the need arise. As I have always said, it is better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it," Gwyn answered.

"Wise words indeed, Gwyn. And you are right, I will grant you your answers in due time, but right now I can only say that you will accomplish great things."

"Thank you Gandalf, I can only hope you are right."

"My dear, seldom am I wrong. And unless I am much mistaken right now, it smells as though supper will be more than salad tonight!"

"That should please the others greatly, although I don't think the elves will find their table manners satisfactory at all, if last night's display was any indication."

The two reached the dining porch, and Gandalf went to sit with Thorin and Lord Elrond, leaving Gwyn to take her place between Fili and Kili. As Gandalf had predicted there was a hearty venison roast steaming on the table and as Gwyn had predicted, supper was a raucous affair, and many of the elves looked affronted at the dwarves' crude manners. Gwyn merely laughed at the elves' distaste, especially Lindir, who looked positively green at the dwarves' behavior. For a second night, Bofur entertained everyone with his antics, and Gwyn surprised everyone at the table, yet again, when she began to chime in on the choruses of his songs. Gwyn was comfortable around the dwarves now, and so enjoyed the elves' expressions, that she even sang drinking songs that she had learned at home, much to the pleasure of everyone.

Soon, the Company retired to their veranda, while Bilbo, Thorin, Balin, and Gandalf consulted with Lord Elrond about Thorin's map. As Lord Elrond had promised, her ratty bedroll had been replaced with a much newer, nicer one, that was also certainly warmer than the old one had been. Resting on her bedroll was a new leather pack that looked as though there were already things inside. Examining the outside of the pack, Gwyn noticed that the designs tooled into the leather matched those of her bracers, corset, and even the designs etched into her new weapons. Looking inside, Gwyn found spare clothes, including undergarments, a small sack of coins, a weapons care kit, a woven cloak, and an even smaller sack. Intrigued by the smaller sack, Gwyn opened it, to find several beads and clasps, similar to those worn by the dwarves to secure their braids. Fili and Kili had explained the night before the significance of braids in dwarven culture, especially in relation to courtship, and Gwyn blushed at the contents of the sack she held in her hand, thinking of the implications. She quickly closed the sack and hid it at the bottom of her pack before anyone asked about it.

As she was repacking the contents of her new pack, Bofur finally noticed what Gwyn was doing.

"Whatcha got there Lassie?" he asked.

"It is a new pack, obviously." Gwyn snarked.

"I can see that, but I think we are all wondering where you got such a fine thing. You're not taking lessons from Nori, are you?" Nori tossed a pillow at the back of Bofur's head at the implied insult.

"Of course I didn't steal it! It was a gift from Lord Elrond!"

"Well, he certainly has been bestowing quite a lot of gifts on you. I wonder why that is?" Fili mused. If Gwyn hadn't been paying attention, she wouldn't have noticed the slightly jealous tone in his voice, nor would she have noticed Kili's frown.

"I'd imagine that it is because he pities me, as I was so ill-prepared for this journey when we first arrived here. It also seems as though only he and Gandalf know exactly what my purpose is here, so that could have something to do with it, as well." Gwyn answered. Setting the pack aside, she sat on her bedroll, and she was soon joined by Fili and Kili taking their now customary places on either side of her. The Company began settling down for the night, telling stories and jokes, and one by one she began to hear snores rising from her companions. Once again, she, Fili, and Kili stayed up talking, and once again, she fell asleep sandwiched between the two brothers. Once they were certain she was asleep, they crept closer to her, each one wrapping a possessive arm around the girl's sleeping form.


	6. Chapter 5

The Company stayed in Rivendell only long enough for Thorin to receive Lord Elrond's guidance on his grandfather's map. Within days of that meeting, the Company set out once more, this time though, Gandalf would be meeting up with them. He had said that he still had business to attend to in Rivendell, but that the rest of the Company should set out without him.

Gwyn was relieved that the time spent in Rivendell had better prepared her for the second leg of the journey. In her pack she carried several rations of dried meat as well as dried fruit; a satchel that Lord Elrond had filled with plants, pastes, and creams, all with healing purposes; and a long length of rope, which she recognized as _hithlain_ from the land of Lothlorien. She surmised by the presence of the _hithlain_ that the Lady Galadriel was in Rivendell, and had given Gwyn the rope. Gwyn anticipated its usefulness, and was forever grateful to the elf-lady for her gift. Gwyn's pack also carried spare arrowheads, and other supplies necessary for crafting arrows, as well as several maps of the lands they would be crossing on their journey to Erebor.

Gwyn was certain that only Fili was more armed than she was, with secret knives stashed everywhere on his person, but she was surprisingly comfortable at the fact that she was no longer helpless in the face of danger. The other members of the Company also seemed relieved that Gwyn could use her new weapons quite skillfully in case things went crossways. Fili and Kili seemed especially pleased at Gwyn's new confidence that came with being able to defend herself and her friends. This newfound confidence frequently resulted in a cheekiness that rivaled Bofur's, much to the delight of the rest of the Company.

After several nights of crossing flat terrain, the Company began climbing a gentle slope into the passes of the Misty Mountains. True to their name, within hours of entering the mountains, the air quickly chilled and grew damp with mist. The Company had to slow their pace to compensate for the decreased visibility and increasingly treacherous terrain. The higher the Company climbed, the worse the weather got, until finally everyone was soaked to the bone with cold rain. When Gwyn muttered under her breath about the chill the dwarves began laughing at her misery.

"I thought rain like this was a mild spring shower in your homeland?" Dori remarked with a small smirk.

"It does rain a great deal where I come from, but that doesn't mean I can't complain about being cold and wet," Gwyn retorted, dark hair clinging to her face in wet strings, even though she wore the leather coat and cloak that Lord Elrond had gifted to her, and the hood of the cloak was pulled up to cover her head. "Although I suppose we should all be glad it is only raining and not snowing, as is common in the mountain passes near my home," Gwyn said. The rest of the Company nodded in agreement that indeed, their situation could be worse.

Soon though, the Company's situation did, in fact, grow worse, and they were stuck in the middle of a thunderstorm while crossing the High Pass of the Misty Mountains. The wind whipped around the Company as they struggled to see where they were going through the driving rain along a ledge that was barely wide enough for one person to pass unhindered. Thorin called out to the rest of the members of the Company that they needed to find shelter quickly.

"No shit," Gwyn muttered, before parts of the mountain began raining down on the Company. Everyone cowered against the side of the mountain, and Fili and Kili both tried to shield Gwyn in her position between the two brothers. Balin shouted that they were in the middle of a thunder battle, rather than a thunderstorm. As Bofur realized that the combatants were stone giants, Gwyn grabbed the back of his coat, just in time to haul him back away from the edge of the ledge they were on as more rocks rained down on the Company.

Suddenly, the "mountain" they were on began shifting and standing up, and Gwyn and the rest of the Company realized they were perched on the knees of a third stone giant. The stone giant's legs began to move apart as the thing moved to join the fray. From her position between Fili and Kili, Gwyn found that she was straddling the growing space between the giant's legs. Her eyes grew wide and just as the was about to lose her balance and plunge to the foot of the mountains Kili grabbed her hands and Fili pushed on her shoulders, sending her sprawling straight into Kili. The two landed hard against the side of the mountain, but luckily did not lose their balance enough to send them over the cliff. However, they had to watch, helpless, as the stone giant that the second half of the Company was riding collapsed against the mountain, felled by a boulder thrown by another giant. Kili let out a hoarse shout when the giant fell to the base of the mountain, no evidence of the hitchhikers on its knees. The remaining members of the Company surged forward, relieved when they saw their kin leaning against the side of the mountain, relatively unharmed.

"Where's Bilbo?" Bofur asked. While everyone was looking for the hobbit, Gwyn fetched the _hithlain_ from her pack. Just as she was unwinding the rope, she heard Bilbo's shout from over the edge of the cliff. Thinking quickly, Gwyn threw one end of the rope down to him, and the other end she passed along the line of dwarves, and working together they pulled the hobbit to safety, although Thorin had jumped down to give the Halfling a boost over the edge. Bilbo quickly released his end of the rope, which Gwyn tossed to Thorin, and the Company repeated the process to haul Thorin back.

The Company soon took shelter in a cave they found. Gwyn was quite nervous, realizing that this cave was the Front Porch to Goblin Town. Without divulging that information, Gwyn urged the dwarves to keep searching for a different cave to shelter in. Thorin silenced her, saying that he would not risk the lives of the Company again, simply because a young girl was uneasy. Gwyn swallowed any further protestations, knowing that Thorin would continue to ignore her. Gwyn settled into a corner of the cave, placed where she could see both the back of the cave and the entrance.

Since the Company was no longer moving, they quickly grew even more chilled than they had been trudging through the rain. Gwyn, in her corner, began to shiver quite violently. Fili and Kili heard the girl's teeth chattering loudly, and began to help Gloin prepare a fire, until Thorin declared that there was not to be a fire that night. Not wanting to argue, the brothers went over to where Gwyn was huddled up trying not to freeze. They sat closely on either side of her, lending her their warmth. Gwyn smiled at them and muttered her gratitude through the chattering of her teeth.

"Well, we wouldn't want our princess to catch cold," Kili said with a grin, while Fili smiled at her. The other members of the Company heard this exchange, and they all traded significant glances with each other, but none of them questioned the young dwarf's particular word choice. Gradually though, the dwarves began to drift off to sleep, and Gwyn herself grew drowsy nestled between the warm bodies of Fili and Kili. She was vaguely aware of movement across the cave and a conversation between Bofur and Bilbo. When she heard Bofur ask the hobbit why his sword was glowing, though, Gwyn snapped to alertness, jostling her guardians on either side of her. Within moments of Gwyn's abrupt awakening, Thorin noticed the sandy floor of the cave falling away and yelled for the others to wake up. When the floor fully collapsed, it sent the Company tumbling arse over tea kettle, before landing on a rickety platform, surrounded by goblins. Gwyn caught Thorin's eye and flashed him a look that clearly said "I warned you we should have sheltered in another cave." The dwarf huffed, irritated at the fact that the girl was proven right, again.

The Company was vastly outnumbered, but that didn't stop them from fighting against the goblins herding them along a path. Eventually, the Company was stopped before a massive, crudely made throne. Atop the throne sat the biggest, ugliest goblin any of the Company had ever seen. He was singing a horrible song, dreadfully off key, accompanied by discordant bunch of "musical" instruments. When Gwyn looked at the creature though, she was intensely reminded of a particularly odious ex-boyfriend of hers, and these thoughts made her snicker. Her laughter had the unintended consequence of drawing the attention of the Great Goblin to the girl.

"What do we have here? A girl traveling with dwarves? And it looks as though she's the youngest member of the rag-tag bunch. Bring her here!" the Great Goblin called to his minions. Several hands grabbed at Gwyn from her position in the middle of the group. While the dwarves fought against the hands holding them back from getting between Gwyn and the Great Goblin, Gwyn went along relatively willingly, knowing that she would only make the situation worse for herself and her friends.

With a raised eyebrow, Gwyn addressed the Great Goblin, "So what are you planning on doing to me? Are you going to make me squawk, so that the others talk? Are you going to use the Bone Breaker on me? Or what about the Mangler? Are you going to use that?" The dwarves behind her began shouting at the goblins not to touch a hair on her head, but the Great Goblin was noticeably becoming angry at the lack of fear in the face of this tiny little girl. Gwyn smirked at the Goblin, enjoying his frustration.

The Great Goblin turned to address the dwarves. "Tell me why you came into my kingdom armed as you were, and I might let the bitch live." At this, the goblins holding Gwyn tightened their grips on her, and the goblins holding Fili and Kili struggled to maintain their grips on the princes. Gwyn looked at the dwarves and shook her head minutely. They remembered her quick thinking with the wargs before, sending them off in different directions, and the dwarves knew that Gwyn's mind was busily churning through different ways to free the Company. When the goblins noticed Thorin's sword, Orcrist, however, everything went to hell.

The goblins cried out in fear at the elven blade, and they began beating the dwarves. Thinking faster than she ever had before, Gwyn remembered how the Great Goblin's voice had echoed on the last notes of his "song," and a rough plan formed. She quickly took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and released the loudest, longest scream of her life, which echoed painfully shrilly around the cavern. The goblins all released their holds on the dwarves, the girl, and their weapons in favor of clapping their hands over their ears. Just as Gwyn was about to run out of air, Gandalf appeared in a blinding flash of light, further dazing the goblins. The dwarves took up arms, and began fighting their way to freedom.

As the Company began making their escape, Gwyn unsheathed her twin swords and gracefully cut down goblins in the way. Dwalin and Thorin led the way, clearing the path of goblins, but all members of the Company were engaged in battle against the enemies that vastly outnumbered them. At one point, the Company's way was blocked by more goblins than could be cut down. Thinking quickly once again, Gwyn grabbed one of the torches lighting the way, and approached Nori.

"I've seen you drinking something from that hip flask of yours along this journey. Is it alcohol of some kind?" she asked.

"It is, but I'd wager it's stronger than you're used to," the thief answered warily, holding out the aforementioned flask.

"That's perfect. I don't plan on drinking it!"

Just as the dwarf was about to protest, Gwyn took a mouthful of the liquor, and facing the goblins, held the torch out in front of her and sprayed the liquor through the flames of the torch, burning the goblins barring the path. The way cleared, the Company took off running again, until the Great Goblin himself stood in their way. Once Gandalf had dispatched the foul creature, the rickety bridge the Company was standing on collapsed underneath the strain. Everyone was jostled about painfully, until the structure hit the floor of the cave with a crash.

"Well that could've been worse," Bofur said, cheerfully. As he finished saying that, the corpse of the Great Goblin fell on top of the dwarves.

"Speak for yourself, Bofur. You're not stuck underneath everyone!" Gwyn snapped, voice rough from her scream and then the burning alcohol she had taken from Nori. Sure enough, as the dwarves began freeing themselves, Gwyn was still trapped.

"If you lot intend for me to save your arses again, I'm going to need some help here…I can't move!" Gwyn was wriggling about, trying to loosen the rubble trapping her, but it wouldn't budge. Fili and Kili rushed forward, and working together with Gwyn, Bofur, Dwalin, and Gloin, they managed to pull Gwyn free.

Looking up, Kili noticed the goblins swarming down to continue the fight with the dwarves. He drew the others' attention to the goblins, and the Company began running again, this time heading for the literal light at the end of the tunnel. Once the Company reached the fresh air, they slowed to a stop. Gwyn was coughing harshly, still winded from being trapped underneath rubble, dwarves, and a dead goblin king. She sat down, and Fili handed her his waterskin, which she took gratefully. After a few mouthfuls of the cool water soothed her burning throat, she turned to Nori.

"What the hell was in that flask of yours? It was worse than the moonshine my mother made me try once!" Gwyn's voice was still rough, and her throat still burned, but it was further calmed by another drink of water.

"Oh that? It's my special recipe. I distill the spirits myself," Nori said with a sly smirk.

"So, basically it's dwarvish moonshine. Remind me to NEVER drink that again!" The dwarves laughed at her reaction, until Gandalf noticed that Bilbo was missing. Looking around, no one could see any sign of the hobbit.

"I'll you where he's gone. The Halfling has gone back to the Shire. He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and warm hearth since he left home. He's long gone by now," Thorin stated with a sneer.

"You underestimate Bilbo. He'll be back. I know it," Gwyn argued. Just then, Bilbo himself appeared, and Gwyn tossed another I told you so look at Thorin. Gwyn smiled when Bilbo explained why he came back and gave him a hug.

"I'm glad you came back, Bilbo, I never doubted that you would," Gwyn said.

"What's wrong with your voice? You sound like you've swallowed nails and they're stuck and rattling around in your throat," the hobbit said, concerned.

"Yeah, that might have been because I was screaming to distract the goblins so that we could try and escape," the girl said, with one of her now characteristic smirks.

"That was you? I heard that down at the roots of the mountain!" Bilbo was amazed at the volume the girl's voice had reached him at.

The dwarves began laughing and complaining that their ears were still ringing, to which Gwyn responded, "Well it worked, didn't it? We are free of the goblins now!" and as she said that, the Company heard the howls of wargs.

"Out of the frying pan," Thorin said.

"And into the fire, run. RUN!" Gandalf shouted.

The Company quickly scrambled up into the trees clinging to the cliff that the wargs had chased them to. Holding herself steady against the trunk of the pine she, Fili, Kili, Thorin, and Bilbo were hidden in, Gwyn watched as an orc, none other than Azog the Defiler, began taunting Thorin. Gwyn could see the disbelief, fear, loathing, and anger Thorin felt cross his face. Looking at the orc, Gwyn felt her stomach drop at the cruelty in his face. His warg too, looked just as cruel as its master.

The rest of the warg pack were throwing their weight against the trunks of the trees the Company were hiding in, trying to knock them down. Gandalf came up with the idea of tossing flaming pinecones to the ground around the trees, forming a barrier to block the wargs. He began to distribute the projectiles to the dwarves and Bilbo, all of whom began to throw the pinecones as hard as they could. Looking at the situation, and seeing Azog and his white warg watching the scene before them, Gwyn had an idea. She drew an arrow from her quiver and asked Gandalf to light it from the pinecone in his hands. The wizard raised his eyebrows at the request, but he acquiesced nonetheless. Putting the now flaming arrow to her bow, Gwyn drew back past the usual release point, overdrawing the bow. Taking aim, Gwyn loosed the arrow and gave a triumphant shout when it hit its target – the chest of Azog's warg. The beast began to panic as the flames licked at its fur, unseating the pale orc.

The orc roared a challenge at the warg, which cowered before its master's fury. The beast dropped to the ground, allowing Azog to re-mount the warg, and extinguishing the flames simultaneously. Gwyn was rather pleased to see that the warg's chest was badly burned, weakening it. As the trees, first weakened by the wargs, and further weakened by the fire at their bases began to topple, the members of the Company began leaping from tree to tree, until all 16 members were clinging to one tree on the very edge of the cliff. As that tree began to slant over the cliff, Thorin stood tall and drew Orcrist from its sheath. Grabbing his oak shield with his left hand, the dwarf began striding towards the pale orc, who grinned malevolently. Thorin picked up his pace until he was sprinting to meet his enemy. Azog urged his warg into a leap that caught Thorin mid-air. The beast knocked the dwarf off his feet and turned as Thorin began to stand to meet the charge again. This time, the warg clamped its jaws around Thorin, drawing a pained cry from his lips. The stoic dwarf cried out every time the warg bit down around his body, until the beast finally tossed him aside.

As Azog ordered one of the other orcs to decapitate Thorin, Bilbo charged to protect the leader of the Company. Gwyn smiled at the ferocity of Bilbo's attack on the orc about to kill Thorin. Encouraged by the Halfling's bravery, the rest of the Company raced to face their enemies. As she ran, Gwyn unsheathed her twin swords, deciding to use them separately in this battle. Gwyn began twirling her swords around, cutting down orcs and wargs with every pass of her blades. One opponent though, did manage to land a hit on Gwyn, which sent her reeling momentarily, though she quickly recovered enough to kill the offender.

Soon, great eagles began swooping in on the Company and their enemies. The eagles kicked up the flames with their wings, they tossed the wargs over the cliffs, and when the enemies were on the run, the eagles began scooping up the dwarves before flying away. Gwyn somehow found herself on the back of the same eagle with Fili and Kili, and the three quickly fell asleep huddled together on the back of the great eagle. Too soon though, the eagles began landing on top of a Carrock.


	7. Chapter 6

The Company dismounted from their respective eagles and rushed over to Thorin's unconscious body. Gandalf knelt beside the dwarf and placing a hand on Thorin's brow, muttered a spell under his breath. Thorin's eyes fluttered open, and he asked after the Halfling. After Thorin had thanked Bilbo for saving his life, and admitted he had been wrong in his assumptions about the hobbit, the Company looked out and got their first glimpse of the Lonely Mountain.

Gwyn fetched her pack, which she had miraculously hung onto through all of the chaos of Goblin Town and the fight against Azog on the cliff. The others had not been so lucky, many of them now without supplies. Rooting around in her pack, Gwyn quickly found the satchel of healing supplies Lord Elrond had given her. Drawing out a small jar of greenish paste that said "to treat deep wounds" on it in neat script, Gwyn began tending to Thorin's injuries that were within her reach. Oin noticed though that Gwyn kept drawing her sleeve across her forehead. Sitting her down, the old dwarf realized Gwyn had a cut above her eye that was bleeding freely.

"You should use some of that Elvish paste on yourself lassie, lest that cut of yours become infected," the healer said.

"I'll be fine. Thorin needs this paste more than I do," Gwyn replied.

"Oin's right, Gwyn. That would be a terrible wound to be infected," Kili said, with an uncharacteristically somber look on his face. Fili, standing next to his brother, nodded in agreement.

"I promise, I'll be fine. This is merely a cut, while Thorin probably has bruised, if not cracked or broken, ribs as well as various puncture wounds, which could very easily become infected, because who knows what kind of nastiness that warg had in its mouth. He needs tending to more than I do," the girl insisted.

"You should at least let Oin clean that cut, otherwise it might scar," Fili added. The other members of the Company chimed in with their agreement, and Gwyn acquiesced, realizing she was outnumbered.

Oin drew out of her satchel a small bottle that said "for cleaning cuts" on it in the same neat script. Dampening a clean bandage with the liquid in the bottle, the dwarf began wiping at the cut on Gwyn's forehead. The liquid stung quite a bit, so Fili and Kili sat on either side of her, trying to distract her from the pain. When the other members of the Company were satisfied that Gwyn had been tended to satisfactorily, they began preparing to set up camp, for they had not rested in many days, nor had they eaten in that time. While the others were bustling about Gwyn continued to clean Thorin's wounds.

"I have thanked the hobbit for his actions saving my life, but I have not yet thanked you for your actions. Your quick thinking in Goblin Town saved not only my life, but the lives of all of the members of this Company. For that I am forever grateful, for my sister's wrath would have been worse than a dragon's had anything happened to my nephews," Thorin said. Gwyn was quite startled by Thorin's gratitude, and his attempt at humor. She blushed and quickly finished her task, before muttering "You're welcome," and walking away.

* * *

That night, once again nestled between Fili and Kili, Gwyn found it difficult to sleep. Her mind was racing, trying to process everything that had happened since the Company departed Rivendell. Her mind lingered particularly on Kili's words in the cave, before the Company was dropped into Goblin Town. _"Well, we wouldn't want our princess to catch cold," he'd said, but what did he mean by that?_ Then there were his and his brother's actions in Goblin Town, when the Great Goblin was threatening to kill Gwyn. _They'd both looked absolutely murderous at the thought of any harm coming to me. The other dwarves wanted to protect me, sure, but Fili and Kili both looked like they would kill anyone who harmed me. Why are they so protective of me?_ Of course, these thoughts led Gwyn down the path of thinking about how she felt about the two dwarves. She knew that she was attracted to them, but she wondered about how deep that attraction went.

Morning came and Gwyn had barely slept. She did not let that slow her down though, and soon the Company was on the move again. The trek down the Carrock was slow and occasionally treacherous, but by the end of the day the entire Company had made it down safely. The dwarves set about setting up camp again, and Gwyn set off to gather firewood. She had a sizeable stack of wood in her arms when she heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She froze for a moment, listening closely, before continuing her chore. After a few moments she called out, "I can defend myself you know." She heard laughter and turned to face Fili and Kili.

"We've come to help you. You looked very tired today, so Kili and I thought you might appreciate the company and the assistance. Besides, Uncle said that no one was to leave camp alone," Fili said with a rather charming smile. Kili flashed her a grin before reaching to take the stack of wood in her arms.

"Thank you. I am tired, but I can manage gathering firewood just fine on my own. I do appreciate the company though," Gwyn responded with a small smile.

"Why couldn't you sleep last night?" Kili asked gently.

"I was thinking. How did you know I couldn't sleep?"

"We were on either side of you, we could feel you tossing and turning. What were you thinking about?" the darker haired dwarf answered.

"Oh. I am terribly sorry if I disturbed you. Aren't you tired today also?" Gwyn avoided answering Kili's question about what she was thinking about, keeping her confusion to herself for the time being. Although Gwyn had realized, over the course of the sleepless night, that she could very easily find herself falling in love with the handsome dwarf princes. The brothers shrugged, and the three soon had a large stack of firewood to take back to the camp.

* * *

That night, as the Company settled down to get some rest, Fili and Kili settled themselves on either side of Gwyn, as usual. They settled themselves a bit closer to Gwyn than they usually did though, pressing close to her and wrapping their arms around her. She figured it was because the brothers had lost their bedrolls in Goblin Town and the ensuing madness, and quickly fell asleep, exhausted from her sleeplessness the night before, and from the exertion of climbing down the Carrock. For the brothers however, sleep did not come as quickly, their thoughts taking a similar path as Gwyn's had the night before. The brothers both knew that they each cared for the girl, and while a situation like theirs was uncommon, it was not unheard of, especially among close siblings, for there to be a shared One between the siblings. Eventually though, the brothers fell asleep, each dreaming of the girl they held in their arms.

* * *

The next morning the Company set off again, Gandalf promising a safe place to stay and resupply. Gwyn noticed that since her minor injury in the fight on the cliff Fili and Kili had stayed particularly close to her. She felt herself flush with the implications of the brothers' actions. If any of the other members of the Company noticed the girl's red face, they made no mention of it, although several dwarves did throw winks to each other behind the backs of the girl and her two dwarven guards.

After walking for several hours, Gwyn heard something following the Company. Catching the others' eyes, Gwyn gestured that they were being hunted. She quickly climbed a tree and surveyed the area. That was when she noticed the orc pack heading for the Company. Jumping nimbly from the tree, she informed the others of her discovery. Gandalf and Thorin began urging the Company to run, with Gandalf assuring them that they would be safe with a friend of his.

While they were running, Gwyn tripped over a small outcropping and twisted her ankle with a cry. Fili and Kili turned back to help her stand, and when it became clear that she would not be able to run, Fili hoisted her onto his back as Kili relieved her of her pack. The brothers set off running once they were sure their cargo was secure. After a while Gwyn noticed that the Company had passed through a gate, and they were surrounded by bees that were easily as large as her hand, bobbing clumsily from flower to flower. Looking behind, Gwyn saw the orc pack emerge from the woods behind the Company and she gave a shout. Gandalf knocked on the door of the house at the other end of the meadow and when the door opened he quickly requested entrance for himself and his companions, who then piled through the door, relieved to be safe and indoors.


	8. Chapter 7

Once the door was barred behind them, the Company began to observe their surroundings. Everything in the house was absolutely massive, including the homeowner. Gwyn looked at the man, although she was more tempted to call him a giant, and was amazed, although the fact that Gandalf was at ease around their host did much to reassure the girl.

Fili finally set Gwyn down gently, and when she tried to take a step over to a chair so that she could examine her ankle her leg buckled from the pain and only Fili's hand steadying her kept her from falling to the ground. Fili and Kili helped Gwyn to a seat, before helping her slip the boot from her injured left foot. Oin and Dori, noticing the situation, bustled over to examine the injury.

"It's badly sprained, but it should heal soon with rest. Is there anything in your satchel of healing supplies to treat injuries like this?" Oin said.

"I'm not sure. Kili, could you find the satchel that Lord Elrond gave me?"

After the dwarf had rummaged through her pack for a few moments he retrieved the satchel in question. Looking through it, he withdrew some bandages that looked as though they had been soaked in some kind of mixture.

"Do you think these will work? They're not labeled like everything else," Kili said.

"Bring them here lad, and we'll see," Oin examined the bandages carefully. "These have been infused with a mixture of arnica, elderberry leaves, and evening primrose. I'd say they should help." Oin proceeded to wrap Gwyn's left ankle in the bandages and she began to feel relief from the pain almost immediately.

While Gwyn was being tended to, Thorin, Bilbo, and Gandalf were busy explaining the circumstances behind their unexpected visit to their host. At the mention of orcs and goblins, Beorn's face grew thunderous, for he already considered the rag-tag Company to be friends.

"You may stay here as long as you need to, especially seeing how the little kitten over there is hurt," Beorn said, gesturing to Gwyn.

"On behalf of myself and my companions, I thank you for your hospitality, Master Beorn, although I would remind you that even kittens have claws," Gwyn called out to the skin-changer from her seat on the other side of the main room. The large man began to laugh, and conceded that her claws probably were quite sharp. The atmosphere in the house began to relax, and Fili and Kili helped Gwyn find a place to rest her ankle, Kili even going so far as to fetch a cushion for her to prop her injured foot on. Setting her pack down next to her, the dwarves left her to help the others settle in and scrounge up bedrolls to replace those that had been lost in Goblin Town.

Digging through her pack, Gwyn located the Elven comb that had somehow made it into her supplies before the Company left Rivendell. She suspected either Nori or Lord Elrond were behind the sudden addition to her belongings. As she watched the dwarves bustle about and Gandalf sit with Beorn smoking his pipe, Gwyn began to work at untangling her hair, which now reached her hips. She was fighting with a particularly large knot when she felt large hands take the comb from her and begin working it through her hair. Looking back she saw that it was Fili sitting behind her, while Kili was laying out her bedroll between the ones he had found for himself and his brother.

"You know, if you were to braid your hair it wouldn't get so snarled. I think Ori's knitting looked better after I tried my hand at it!" Kili said with a small grin.

"Oh, I'm sure that's true, but knowing my hair, it would still be a mess even if I found some way to braid it out of the way," Gwyn said.

"Well, perhaps you would just need some help then, finding the right braid to keep your hair under control," Fili said softly.

"And I suppose you two know just the way I should braid my hair, do you?" Gwyn countered, with a raised eyebrow.

"We might," but before Kili could finish the statement, he and his brother, who had finished ridding Gwyn's hair of tangles by this point, were called away by their uncle. Kili's vacated seat was quickly filled by Bofur and Nori pulled up a chair next to him. The both wore similarly mischievous looks, and Gwyn groaned internally at the teasing they were sure to offer up. They did not disappoint.

"So, lassie, we couldn't help but notice how attentive Fili and Kili have been to you. Why, Fili even brushed your hair! Do I smell the sweet blossoms of love surrounding you three?" Bofur teased.

"We heard your conversation just now. Are you intending to let the brothers braid your hair? You know what that means to dwarves, don't you? It's a very important thing, the braiding of hair!" Dori chimed in, as he moved to join his brother, Bofur, and Gwyn. The group had then been joined by Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bombur, and Ori, and all of the dwarves looked eager to hear her answer. If she had been able to see them, she would have noticed Thorin, Fili, Kili, Dwalin, Balin, and Gandalf listening carefully to her response.

Heaving a sigh, Gwyn said without any real anger, "Apparently the stubbornness of dwarves is rivaled only by their curiosity. Why is my personal life any of your business?"

"We care about you, lass, and we want you to be happy," Bofur said. He had apparently named himself the spokesman for the group surrounding her.

"Let it be noted that I do, in fact, know the significance of braids to dwarves. Fili and Kili explained them to me in Rivendell," Gwyn paused, noticing a look similar to excitement pass between the assembled dwarves. "And secondly, I appreciate your caring, but this is a conversation to be had in private, between myself, Fili and Kili, when the time comes. Should anything change, you lot will be among the first to know," she finished quietly. The dwarves, somewhat disappointed in her answer, or lack thereof, began to straggle away, only Ori staying to keep the girl company, although they were soon joined by Bilbo. Thorin and Balin were relieved that the lass had handled a potentially difficult situation with a large degree of diplomacy.

As Gwyn sat and talked with Ori and Bilbo, she noticed that Fili and Kili kept throwing expectant looks at her. Each time she caught them though, they quickly turned back to their uncle, which made Gwyn somewhat suspicious of what they could have been discussing. If her ankle hadn't been injured, she would have already approached the dwarves and insinuated herself into their conversation. As it was, her mind could only jump to conclusions.

* * *

When dinner was announced, Gwyn made to hobble over to the table, but she was suddenly airborne as Beorn carried her like a child and set her down between Fili and Kili. She flushed with embarrassment at being treated like a child, and her red face made everyone at the table begin to laugh. She huffed and muttered that she would have been able to walk to the table just fine. Her muttering only served to increase the laughter around her, until she resolutely turned to the food on the table and began eating, ignoring everyone else at the table.

"Oh, it looks as though I've offended the little kitten. I am sorry Kitten, I should have asked permission before carrying you to join us," Beorn said, failing completely at looking apologetic. The others continued to snicker at Gwyn's new moniker, and at the glare she sent around the table Fili and Kili each draped an arm around her to soothe her. The brothers' plan worked, to her chagrin, which just set the others off laughing again.

"If you're all quite finished enjoying yourselves at my expense, there is food on this table quickly growing cold, and I thought dwarves and hobbits were renowned for their appetites," Gwyn retorted. Realizing that she was right, the Company rapidly tucked into the dinner their host had provided.

* * *

After dinner, the Company and Beorn had gathered around the hearth, telling stories and singing songs. Gwyn's ankle was feeling much better, the Elvish bandages having done a remarkable job at quelling the pain and swelling from the sprain. She sat on a bench, with her injured foot once more propped up on a pillow. Fili sat behind her, his arms wrapped snuggly around her midsection, and Kili sat on the floor in front of the bench. Gwyn was full, warm, and comfortable, and she began carding her fingers through Kili's dark hair, occasionally stopping to untangle the snarls that caught her fingers. The dwarf's eyes closed in pleasure at the sensations, and Fili rested his chin on Gwyn's shoulder, his beard tickling her skin.

Gwyn was drowsing from the comfortable companionship around the fire, until she heard Beorn speak.

"So, Little Kitten, do you have a song to sing? You are the only member of this bunch to have not said anything since supper."

Gwyn started at the suddenness of the request, before replying.

"There is a song that seems appropriate for this moment in our quest, although I would ask the permission of my companions before singing it, as it is derived from a song they sang at the start of our journey, before we had even left The Shire." She glanced around at the dwarves, focusing on Thorin. He nodded his assent, so Gwyn straightened her back from where she was leaning against Fili. Taking a deep breath, she began:

_Far over the Misty Mountains rise_

_Leave us standing upon the heights_

_What was before, we see once more_

_Our kingdom a distant light_

Gwyn's voice rose in the stillness, the others entranced to silence by the clear sound.

_Fiery mountain beneath the moon_

_The words unspoken, we'll be there soon_

_For home a song that echoes on_

_And all who find us will know the tune_

She gained strength, having started quietly, now her voice carried power and weight behind it.

_Some folk we never forget_

_Some kind we never forgive_

_Haven't seen the back of us yet_

_We'll fight as long as we live_

_All eyes on the hidden door_

_To the Lonely Mountain borne_

_We'll ride in the gathering storm_

_Until we get our long-forgotten gold_

_We lay under the Misty Mountains cold_

_In slumbers deep and dreams of gold_

_We must awake, our lives to make_

_And in the darkness a torch we hold_

_From long ago when lanterns burned_

_Till this day our hearts have yearned_

_Her fate unknown the Arkenstone_

_What was stolen must be returned_

_We must awake and make the day_

_To find a song for heart and soul_

_Some folk we never forget_

_Some kind we never forgive_

_Haven't seen the end of it yet_

_We'll fight as long as we live_

_All eyes on the hidden door_

_To the Lonely Mountain borne_

_We'll ride in the gathering storm_

_Until we get our long-forgotten gold_

_Far away from Misty Mountains cold_

The last notes of the song faded away into silence. As Gwyn came to herself, having been focused on the song, she looked around nervously at the faces of the men surrounding her, unsure of what kind of response her interpretation of the dwarves' song would have generated. To her surprise, the dwarves looked at her in unguarded amazement and respect at the amount of feeling she had infused into the song. Smiling gently, she sat back down, having risen to her feet at some point during her performance. Fili once more wrapped his arms around her, and Kili leaned against her and she resumed running her fingers through his hair.

From her place near the fire Gwyn looked up and saw Thorin looking at her with something akin to admiration. She smiled shyly at him and snuggled back into Fili's warmth, drowsing. Soon the Company began drifting to their bedrolls, and Gwyn was vaguely aware of being lifted in someone's arms before being set gently on her blankets. She felt the arms around her slip away, and instead of warm bodies bracketing her as usual, there was nothing. The chill woke her up a bit, and she sat up, looking around for Fili and Kili. Her eyes soon fell on them speaking quietly with Thorin.

"Uncle, we would like your permission before we go any further with Gwyn. She means a great deal to both of us, and we have reason to believe Gwyn returns our affections. May we court her?" Fili asked. Gwyn could feel herself flushing at the hope in Fili's voice. Thorin was silent for several long moments, and she could tell Kili was doing his utmost to rein in his impatience. Gwyn herself was listening closely, waiting tensely, until Thorin spoke.

"My dear sister-sons. Are you sure that Gwyn would welcome your courtship?" The brothers vigorously nodded their assent, and Thorin searched their faces carefully for any doubts. Seeing none, he continued, "While she is a stranger here, Gwyn has proven herself many times over in battle, and she has acted selflessly to help on this journey. She has honor, bravery, strength, wit, and kindness. She is a good woman, and I give you my blessing." Gwyn released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and smiled broadly, settling back down in her blankets.

There was a rustling on either side of her as the brothers laid down beside her.

"So, how much of that did you hear?" Fili whispered.

Gwyn tried (and failed) to feign sleepy ignorance. Kili snickered quietly when Gwyn gave up the act.

"How did you know I heard anything?"

"We saw you sit up, looking for us. Now, how much of that did you hear?" Fili insisted.

"I heard you ask for your uncle's permission to court me. I didn't realize Thorin thought so highly of me. I'm flattered," Gwyn whispered.

"Why wouldn't Uncle think highly of you? You've saved all of our lives many times now!" Kili whispered. Gwyn sat up so she could see the brothers' faces in the light of the dying embers of the fire. In the dim light she could see expectant looks on both of their faces.

"Well?" Kili prompted impatiently.

"Well what?" Gwyn responded.

"What are your thoughts on our conversation with our uncle?" Fili asked quietly.

Gwyn smirked. "I think I would be better able to answer that question if I were asked properly." The brothers shifted so that they faced her more directly, mindful of her sprained ankle, and each one took her hand.

"Miss Gwyndolyn, daughter of Evangeline and Marcus, we have found ourselves in the position of caring for you, quite deeply," Fili began.

Kili took up where his brother left off, "We are enraptured by your beauty," at this Gwyn blushed, "warmed by your kindness, your wit makes us laugh in the darkest of times, your bravery in the face of danger awes us," Gwyn smiled at the brothers, before they both continued, "would you consent to being courted, by both of us?"

"I find myself caring for both of you very deeply as well. That is what I was thinking about on the Carrock that night. I was trying to sort out my feelings for you," here Gwyn paused, gathering her thoughts. "That being said, I would have never dreamed, even in my wildest fantasies, that I would be courted by two dwarves, and brothers at that," the brothers' faces fell, expecting rejection at this point, "I am astounded at your warmth, your humor brings a smile to my face when I would rather frown, your fierceness in battle makes me feel safe, and your gentleness makes me feel treasured. I accept your suit." As she finished her speech, Gwyn leaned forward and kissed each gob struck brother at the corner of their open mouths as they tried to formulate a response. When the reality of the situation dawned on them, each brother placed a chaste kiss upon her cheek.

"What are we going to do about braids though? I don't think Gwyn has any of the customary adornments," Kili suddenly said.

"Ah, about that. There is a small pouch that I've hidden in my pack that I think will interest you both," though they couldn't see it, Fili and Kili could hear the smirk in Gwyn's voice.

"Shall I fetch your pack now?" Fili asked.

"We should wait until morning, if only to better see my surprise." Kili huffed impatiently, and Gwyn took his hand. "If you are worried I will change my mind, I have never been surer of anything in my life." Catching his eye, Gwyn smiled brightly, and Kili could not help himself. Looking briefly to Fili, Kili leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Gwyn's lips. The pair held the kiss for a few moments before breaking away, eyes shining in the dark. Turning her slightly to face him, Fili repeated the motion. Smiling Gwyn broke away before she laid back down on her bedroll, and Fili and Kili followed suit, each of them wrapping an arm around the girl between them, holding her close.

* * *

That is how Gwyn woke up the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten. She noticed that all of the men were still asleep, so she quietly rose and, grabbing her pack, limped to where Beorn had said the bathing room was. Her ankle was significantly improved since the day before, though it still pained her somewhat, especially when she put weight on it. Unwrapping the bandages, Gwyn saw that there was hardly any swelling now. Stripping off her dirty clothes, Gwyn sank into the warm water that had miraculously already been prepared. _One of Beorn's dog servants probably did it,_ Gwyn thought, as she dunked her head to wet her hair. Gwyn thought of her dwarves, for Fili and Kili were hers now, just as she was theirs. She smiled as she thought of the looks that would cross their faces when she showed them the pouch with the dwarven courtship beads in it. She also thought of the teasing they would likely get from the others in the Company, but she found she was not worried about it, in fact, she was rather looking forward to it. Teasing from the others meant acceptance, and she would be worried if they didn't tease her and and her dwarves.

Gwyn took her time bathing, luxuriating in being clean, much as she had in Rivendell. So immersed was she in her thoughts and the sensations of bathing, that she didn't hear the commotion out in the main room of Beorn's home.

"Where is she?"

"She's gone!"

"And her pack is gone too!"

Shouts rang out across the hall as the dwarves woke up.

Thorin's voice rang out above the din, "Split up and search for her! Fili, Kili, you check the house, the rest of us will search outside!" The dwarves all nodded as they moved to begin their search.

Gwyn had dunked her head under the water once more to wash the last of the soap from her hair when the door to the bathing room flew open. Fili and Kili breathed a sigh of relief that their girl was safe and had not been taken in the night, nor had she run off. The relief passed though, as they took note of her creamy skin contrasting with her dark hair spread like ink through the water. They quickly snapped out of the daze the sight of the naked skin had set them in and hurried off as Gwyn raised her head from the water. She turned at the sound of the door slamming shut, but there was no one there so she shrugged and climbed out of the bath. After running a rough towel over her damp skin she dressed quickly in a clean shirt, tunic, and leggings, having removed her chainmail, corset and bracers the night before, and now used the towel to wring the water from her hair.

Emerging from the bathing room with her things, Gwyn took note of the men milling around preparing breakfast. Fili and Kili flushed uncharacteristically when she smiled at them. Looking between the brothers and the other dwarves, who looked as though they were struggling not to laugh, Gwyn quickly put two and two together.

"Decided to try and sneak a peek did you? Wasn't the look you got at the Trollshaws enough?" Gwyn asked with a smirk and a wink. As the brothers spluttered their responses, she limped over to them and gave them each a kiss on the cheek, causing the dwarves to pause in astonishment. In the calm before the inevitable storm of teasing, Gwyn hobbled over to her bedroll, where she was joined by Oin, who examined her ankle and rewrapped it in the elvish bandages.

"What was that lassie? That was uncommonly familiar of you, especially since you don't have any braids yet," Bofur teased. Bifur muttered something in Khuzdul, and his cousin turned to look at him. "Right you are, Cousin, there is something afoot here in this skin-changer's house, that's changing all of us!" Gwyn started laughing at how utterly wrong he was, but she wasn't about to set him and the rest of the Company straight, not yet at least. When it became clear that Gwyn had been taking lessons in how to be infuriatingly mysterious from their own wizard the dwarves dispersed, off to resupply.

"Last night you mentioned you had a surprise for us hidden away in your pack. May we see it now that it's morning?" Fili asked, having apparently recovered himself after seeing her bathing. Kili still seemed a bit stunned. Rooting around in her pack, Gwyn retrieved her comb and the pouch Lord Elrond had given to her. In the relative privacy they were afforded courtesy of everyone else being busy, she handed the items to Fili to examine. Looking into the pouch, and then quickly showing the contents to Kili, the brothers helped Gwyn stand up before they went off in search of complete privacy, without the chance that one of their companions would interrupt them. Thorin watched the three leave the common room with a surprisingly gentle smile, before turning back to his task.

Finding a secluded room, the two brothers helped Gwyn to take a seat on a cushioned stool they found. Standing behind her, Fili began combing her hair, much as he had the previous day. While Fili was occupied, Kili dumped out the pouch to find two silver beads that were etched with a similar design to all of Gwyn's other belongings. He set those aside, for her to braid into his hair and his brother's hair later. Right now their focus was on displaying their beads in Gwyn's hair. Reaching into a secret pocket of his tunic, close to his heart, Kili withdrew a small clasp and a bead, both etched in curling spirals. Fili reached into his tunic also, and he retrieved a small clasp and a bead, these ones etched with strong geometric shapes. These were the brothers' personal symbols, much as the knots were Gwyn's.

Finished combing through Gwyn's still damp hair, each brother stood on either side of her. Picking a lock of hair from each temple, the brothers first slipped the beads round the top, positioning them to lie flat against Gwyn's scalp. Then, separating the locks of hair into sections, they began to weave the hair into small, intricate plaits. After several minutes, each brother clipped the ends of the braids with their personal clasps.

Moving behind her once more, Fili began to braid the rest of her hair, first beginning a braid down the center of scalp, then bringing her courtship braids to meet at the back of her head he clasped them together with one of Gwyn's clasps, and then weaving other sections in. The finished braid was tight and neat, and Gwyn had no doubt that it would keep her hair from tangling on the rest of the journey. Picking up the largest clasp that had been in the pouch with Gwyn's beads, Fili sealed the end of her braid. The brothers' clasps were visible through the larger braid, and the sight made the brothers swell with pride that the beautiful woman in front of them was theirs.

"You're going to have to teach me the proper way to add the braids to your hair, I've never been much good at it," Gwyn said, having enjoyed the sensation of fingers running through her hair.

"Certainly, although we will not ask you to stand behind us. Kili, sit on the floor between Gwyn's knees," his brother moved to obey, and Fili knelt beside her, guiding her through the motions of plaiting the courtship braid into Kili's hair. When she was finished with Kili, the brothers switched places, and Kili guided her through plaiting Fili's hair, which was more difficult because of his braids that identified him as Thorin's heir.

Courtship official, the three shared a few quiet, private moments, before reemerging from the room. With a final kiss to her lips from each brother, the trio returned to the common room. There were a few members of the Company milling about in the common room, although most were scattered throughout the house. Beorn, Balin, Thorin, Dwalin, and Gandalf were the first to notice the reappearance of the two princes and the girl. Dwalin and Balin startled somewhat at the sight of the braids now adorning the hair of all three, but they did not say anything when they saw the smiles on their faces. Gandalf smiled around his pipe, nodding his approval at the development. Thorin, moving more slowly than usual due to his injuries, which were healing nicely thanks to Gwyn's elvish medicine according to Oin, walked over to the three.

"I see you were right, lads. I am happy for all three of you," with that Thorin returned to looking at maps of Mirkwood, working with Beorn, Gandalf, Balin, and Dwalin to try and chart a course through the forest. Soon, the other dwarves began trickling in to the house for lunch. Gwyn smirked at the looks on their faces, and she quickly began laughing at the others, joined by Fili and Kili.

As the Company sat at the table for lunch, Bifur said something in Khuzdul, with a fairly dark look leveled at Fili and Kili. Gwyn was surprised at the look, because it seemed like the dwarf with the ax in his head was always trying to find a smile for her. Bofur nodded in agreement with his cousin, as did Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, and Bombur. Thorin, Dwalin, and Balin all looked amused at whatever Bifur had said. For their part, Fili and Kili looked nervous, and all of this just served to confuse Gwyn.

"Excuse me, but could someone tell me what you lot were agreeing to and why Fili and Kili look as though they've seen a ghost?" Gwyn demanded. Gandalf chuckled into his food, failing utterly at maintaining any semblance of propriety at this point.

"Bifur said that they did wrong by you, because they didn't ask permission to court you. Right now, it's very improper for you to be wearing their braids," Dori explained.

"But they did ask permission. They asked Thorin last night for permission to court me," Thorin leveled a look at her, and she shrugged. Her boys however, still had not relaxed at her sides.

"That's all well and good, but a proper courtship cannot begin until the suitors have the permission of the head of their family, and the permission of the closest male relative to the one they would court," Bofur stated.

"In case no one has noticed, I don't exactly have a family that is easily accessible right now, possibly ever. By your logic, this will never be a proper courtship," Gwyn argued.

"That's where you're wrong lassie, you do have a family here. We're your family, and as such, Fili and Kili should have asked our permission before ever broaching the topic of courtship with you," Bofur said. Gwyn was touched at Bofur's proclamation that the dwarves considered her family. "Are you lads planning on rectifying your mistake anytime soon?"

Fili and Kili turned somewhat helpless gazes to Thorin, seeking guidance.

"This is your mistake, you must undo it if you plan to continue your courtship of Gwyn," Thorin said.

Gwyn slipped her hands under the table and took the hands of her boys, giving them a reassuring squeeze. She felt them relax minutely on either side of her, and she pointedly ignored the stern looks Bofur and Dori leveled at her for her actions. Pushing away from the table, Fili and Kili stood up, and they bowed deeply to the other members of the Company.

"We beg your forgiveness for our oversight. We now humbly request your permission and your blessings to court Gwyndolyn, daughter of Evangeline and Marcus," the two princes said, together. The other members of the Company deliberated amongst themselves for several moments, leaving Fili and Kili to squirm with the tension.

"We accept your apologies, and we grant you permission to court our Gwyn, on the condition that if you harm her in any way you'll have us to answer to," Bofur said, finally cracking a smile. Fili, Kili, and Gwyn flashed answering smiles around the table, although Fili's and Kili's smiles had more than a note of relief to them. The rest of lunch was a cheerful affair, promising more joviality at dinner.

* * *

After lunch Gwyn was thoroughly tired of sitting around while her companions puttered. She asked Beorn for a large tub to be filled with water out in his bee pasture, and he agreed readily enough, although he did make a remark about kittens hating water. Gwyn also asked him to string her _hithlain_ between two trees to serve as a clothes line and for a large bar of soap. Once the tub was prepared she gathered up her dirty clothes to wash them. Gwyn whistled shrilly, effectively getting the attention of all the dwarves and Bilbo.

"Alright everyone, I'm about to wash clothes. If you have anything to change into, do so now, and I'll wash everyone's clothes." There was a mad scramble, even very "dignified" dwarves like Balin, Dwalin, and Thorin rushing into the house, and much shouting and cursing as they fell over their packs, tripped over boots, and generally chaos reigned while the men were all changing. Soon, each dwarf trooped past carrying their soiled clothes, which they dropped into a pile near Gwyn. Beginning with her own clothes, Gwyn rolled up the sleeves of her shirt to her elbows, and began to scrub. She enlisted Gandalf's help hanging the clothes to dry, since Beorn had inconveniently placed the _hithlain_ too high for Gwyn to reach. It took the better part of the afternoon to work through the pile of clothes, all of which smelled terribly of goblin, and all of which were completely encrusted in grime. Several times, Gwyn had had to ask Beorn to replace the water in the tub, but eventually all the clothes were clean and hanging to dry. When she went back inside all of the dwarves thanked her profusely and Bilbo had muttered his thanks from where he was wrapped in a blanket covering his body. The poor hobbit only had one set of clothes, and those were in as desperate need of a wash as the dwarves' had been. Knowing this, Gwyn had washed Bilbo's clothes early in the afternoon, and so they were dry by the time she had finished.

Gwyn then decided to mend Bilbo's waistcoat for him while he redressed in his clean clothes, managing to track down some mismatched buttons and borrowing a needle and thread from Dori. She sat in her spot near the hearth sewing the buttons on and talking with Bilbo, who had joined.

"Why did everyone kick up such a fuss when they saw your hair? You've finally decided to start pulling it away from your face, but that shouldn't warrant such a reaction. And the conversation at lunch was quite odd," Bilbo mused.

"Fili and Kili asked to court me last night, and so these braids mark me as theirs, just as the braids in their hair mark them as mine. This was the first step to go through a dwarven courtship, and the others were surprised, I think, that we decided to take this task on while we are on a dangerous journey. I'm not completely sure about that though, you would have to ask the others. There! All finished!" Gwyn said, handing the repaired waistcoat to the hobbit.

"Thank you so much!" and Bilbo began to admire the sturdiness of her stitches. As he walked away, Gwyn felt a pair of arms slip around her waist and someone press a kiss to the top of her head. Leaning back, she saw that it was Kili.

"You've been awfully domestic today. You wouldn't be trying to prove anything would you?" he teased.

"Perhaps subconsciously. It mostly stemmed from a feeling of uselessness though. I figured if I hadn't washed everyone's clothes, they wouldn't have been washed until well after we reclaimed Erebor," she teased back. Kili laughed and agreed, stating that it was very nice to be wearing clean clothes again.


	9. Chapter 8

That night, there was much celebrating in honor of Fili, Kili, and Gwyn's courtship. The rowdiness of the dwarves surpassed even their behavior at Rivendell, which surprised Gwyn. Much of the commotion was courtesy of Beorn's mead, which flowed abundantly. Several times one of the dwarves would call out for a kiss from the trio, which they obliged, for the most part. When the requests got too out of hand, so frequent that Gwyn or her princes could barely eat without a cry of "Kiss! Kiss!" from one of their compatriots, Gwyn leveled one of her Looks at the offending dwarves. Even Beorn and Gandalf joined in the frivolity, laughing at the dwarves' antics. Gandalf even contributed some small impromptu whiz-poppers that exploded in the shape of love-hearts and flowers which seemed to trail behind Fili and Kili, making everyone laugh.

When the Company began to calm down a bit though, Gwyn saw several members of the Company pass small purses to Bofur and, to Gwyn's surprise, Ori. When she raised her eyebrow at that, Bofur gave her a cheeky grin and Ori flushed deeply red. Nudging Kili, Gwyn gestured at Bofur and Ori's new purses and whispered her theory to him. Taking the hint, Kili snuck over to investigate their companions' newfound wealth.

"So, what kind of wager did you two win such handsome purses in?" Kili asked. Ori jumped at the other dwarf's sudden appearance behind them. Bofur just chuckled.

"How do you know we won a wager?" Bofur replied.

"Easily. Ori wouldn't be so embarrassed if your coin came from other ventures." Ori flushed even darker at that admission, and Bofur laughed even more loudly. "And if Gwyn's right, then your wager had something to do with our courtship, because Ori can't look at any of us without turning the same color as our dear burglar's jacket, and the fact that the coin has been awarded at our courtship celebration. Correct?"

Bofur nodded, before clarifying the terms of the wager. Satisfied that he'd gotten all the information from the miner and the scribe that they would give, Kili returned to Gwyn and his brother.

"You were right, of course. The wager was about us and our courtship. Apparently the pool was started by Nori at Rivendell, regarding when we would 'stop dancing around each other,' as Bofur put it. He said it would take something dangerous to get us moving, while Ori said that Fili and I would break the rules somehow. They won the wager, obviously, because it took Goblin Town for us to realize how much you mean to us, Gwyn, and we broke the rules because we forgot to ask your family for permission before braiding your hair," Kili explained.

"I knew it! And of course Nori was the instigator, he's such a gambler," Gwyn said, before giving Kili a kiss. Not one to be left out, Fili promptly turned Gwyn's attentions to himself and bestowed a kiss of his own upon Gwyn. She smiled brightly at her princes, and when several members of the Company began catcalling for the umpteenth time that night, she graced them all with a rude gesture, causing many of the dwarves to laugh.

After the party had ended, and the various dwarves had retired to their bedrolls, Gwyn was snuggled up between her two princes. She thought of the days ahead, and how their courtship might play out, trying to think of things she could give them. That night in Rivendell, when Fili and Kili had explained dwarven customs to her, they had mentioned that once a courtship suit was presented and accepted, and the involved parties wore the other's courtship braid, there was an exchange of gifts. The brothers had explained that the first official courtship gift was typically meant to represent what the receiver meant to the giver. Thinking of possibilities for her gifts, Gwyn fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

The Company stayed with Beorn for a week, giving both Gwyn and Thorin ample time to heal from their injuries, and giving the others in the Company a chance to rest. Although by the end of their stay, everyone could tell that Thorin was anxious to set off towards Erebor again. Thanking Beorn once again for his hospitality, the Company set off towards the next hurdle they would have to overcome, Mirkwood.

Grateful for the horses that Beorn had loaned them, the Company made good time to the borders of the forest. Even standing outside of the Elven gate though, the dwarves, Bilbo, Gwyn and Gandalf could feel the oppressive darkness that loomed in front of them. Gwyn nervously began toying with a carved pendant on a leather cord around her neck – her courting gift from Fili and Kili. Kili's sharp archer eyes had found the stone, and Fili's dexterous warrior's hands had carved it in the shape of a rose, so it was a gift from both dwarves. The brothers noticed Gwyn's anxiety, and moved to stand on either side of her. Feeling their presence beside her, Gwyn's nerves calmed a bit, but she was still on edge.

"Set the ponies loose, let them return to their master," Gandalf said. Several members of the Company then moved to unpack their supplies from the ponies.

"This forest feels…sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?" Bilbo said, voicing the feelings of the entire Company.

"Not unless we travel 200 miles north, or twice that distance, south," Gandalf replied. Gwyn inwardly groaned, dreading the trek through the forest.

When Nori moved to unburden Gandalf's mount the Wizard called out, "Not my horse! I have need of it!"

"You're not leaving us, are you?" Bilbo questioned.

"I would not do this unless I had to. Stay on the path, otherwise you will never find it again! I will meet you on the Overlook on the slopes of the Lonely Mountain, before the sun sets on Durin's Day," with that Gandalf mounted his horse and took off, leaving the Company to enter the Mirkwood. Shouldering their packs, the Company grimly marched into the forest, the weight of the darkness pressing on them from all sides. Gwyn was infinitely grateful that Fili and Kili were reluctant to leave her side, like shields. She smiled a bit, even in the gloom, remembering the night before the Company left Beorn's house, when she and her dwarves had exchanged their first gifts.

_"Here is our first gift for you, a rose carved from a cat's eye beryl stone that Kili found in Beorn's garden. The rose symbolizes your beauty, for you are beautiful, and your fragility – a reminder to us to protect you. However, roses are not without their thorns, a reminder that you can also protect yourself." Fili said, holding out his hand._

_"It is said that beryl grants protection from harm while traveling, as well as providing assistance in battles, both of which will ease our minds," Kili added. Gwyn smiled as she pulled the leather cord over her head and adjusted its length, leaving the carved rose to rest just below her collar bone._

_"And I have gifts for you both as well," Gwyn said, pulling two small items from her pocket. They were two bracelets made of colored threads, woven tightly together. The bracelet that she gave to Fili was colored in shades of brown and blue. The one she gave to Kili was yellow and blue. Woven into the center of each band was a white bead that had been carved in the shape of a shield. "These bracelets represent our lives being woven together. Fili, yours is brown and blue, symbolizing protection and loyalty, while the yellow in Kili's represents his optimism and the blue is his loyalty. The shield beads that are woven in signify how safe and protected I feel around each of you. I hope you don't mind, but I had Bofur help me carve the beads, otherwise they would have just looked like blobs instead of shields," Gwyn said, helping each brother tie the bracelets around their wrists. The brothers each smiled at Gwyn and the three came together in a warm hug before Gwyn reached up to place a kiss on the cheek of each brother._

Gwyn was jostled from her musings when Fili nudged her shoulder.

"What were you thinking about, that had you so far away?" he asked.

"I was remembering last night, when we exchanged gifts," Gwyn answered with a smile. Without the comfort of her thoughts though, she quickly grew nervous again, visibly jumping at each unexpected sound. Several members of the Company noticed the girl's twitchiness, but they weren't sure how to calm her.

"Are you alright lass? You're jumpier than Ori when we were in Goblin Town," Bofur said. She gave him a tight smile before responding.

"The air in here is stifling. It's making me nervous. I'll be fine once we're clear of this place."

"Aye, we all will. We will make camp here for the night, though, because we will not have enough light, such as it is, to continue much longer," Thorin said from his position near the front of the line.

It became clear after several days though that the Company had lost the path. They became disoriented, walking in circles, tempers fraying. They were running low on food stores, which did not help matters in the least, empty bellies leading to hot heads. When Thorin said that they needed to continue heading east, Bilbo climbed a tree to figure out which way east was. Gwyn could not help but envy his chance to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the forest, even for a few moments.

When Bilbo reappeared, he told the dwarves where the sun was, helping them to reorient themselves. Gloin reminded the Company that the forest would disorient them again, throwing them off track. When the dwarves began to complain and bicker about how to stay on track, Gwyn sat down and began rooting through her pack. Only Fili and Kili paid her any attention, but they said nothing. Eventually Gwyn found what she was looking for, drawing out a travel sewing kit that she had discovered. Taking a needle from the kit, she rubbed it against the wool of her tunic, before stabbing it through the cork from her water skin, which was almost empty. Regretfully, she poured the last of her water into a bowl, and set the cork in the water and watched it spin slowly. When the needle stopped spinning, Gwyn whistled to get the others' attentions.

"Here's how we're going to stay on track! This needle points north, so if we keep heading to the right of the needle's orientation, we'll be out of here soon!" Fili and Kili smiled, proud that their girl's intelligence and ingenuity had saved their lives, again. That night though, when the Company slept, they were caught unawares.

Gwyn was suddenly aware of the sounds of bodies being dragged away, but she could not move to stop it. She was helpless, as were the others, in the clutches of _whatever_ had gotten to them, although Gwyn was dimly aware that somewhere in her mind she knew what their assailants were. Soon, she dizzily felt herself being dragged away from their campsite, before being wrapped in something sticky. Gwyn was vaguely aware of the sensation of hanging upside down, all the blood rushing to her head, and then she lost consciousness.

* * *

Gwyn was jolted from her stupor by the shouts of the dwarves. She felt like she was falling from a great height and then her back hit the ground, surprisingly gently. She began struggling against the substance holding her, eventually maneuvering one of her knives out of its sheath and tearing through her bonds. Breaking free after several moments of struggle, Gwyn looked around and realized they had been caught by the spiders Radagast had mentioned. She began frantically pulling at her hair and clothes, trying to rid them of the sticky webbing she had been wrapped in. Gwyn realized she must have looked quite comical when she heard several of the dwarves laugh at her antics. She glared at them, which made them laugh louder. Suddenly though, they were set upon by the spiders themselves, who had been far enough away to allow for the escape. Drawing her twin swords automatically, Gwyn began hacking away at the vile creatures, gutting them, cutting through eyes, anything to metaphorically squash them.

When arrows began slicing through the air, the Company realized they had other problems, in addition to the loss of their supplies (although Gwyn had miraculously managed to hang on to the satchel of healing supplies Lord Elrond had given her) and the spiders still attacking. Seeing the elves though, Gwyn came to the conclusion that they were better off complying with whatever the elves said. She slowly made her way over to Fili and Kili, each taking one of her hands. The elves then proceeded to strip the dwarves of all of their weapons, which took quite a while in Fili's case. When the blond leader of the elves examined Orcrist, Gwyn remembered which elves they were dealing with. The elf accused Thorin of stealing the blade, and when Thorin proclaimed that it had been a gift, the elf accused him of lying as well.

"He's telling the truth. The sword was gifted to him by Lord Elrond of Imladris, Prince Legolas Thranduilion," Gwyn said firmly, surprising the elf with her knowledge of his identity. When a red-haired elleth made a threatening gesture at Gwyn, the girl allowed a small smirk to grace her features. "And you must be Tauriel, the Captain of the Guard of Mirkwood," Gwyn said. Tauriel glared at her, before turning to discuss the spider attacks with Legolas. Their conversation finished, Legolas motioned to the rest of the elves to begin herding the Company. Fili and Kili fought against their captors to stay by Gwyn's side, and she was grateful. She gave them a small smile, before casting her eyes around the clearing and counting the Company. Including herself, she came up with 14, meaning they were missing someone. Gwyn smiled, and inwardly cheered, when she heard Bofur ask, "Where's Bilbo?"


	10. Chapter 9

As the Company was led to the heart of the Woodland Realm, Fili looked over his shoulder to find his brother and Gwyn following close behind. With a quirk of his eyebrow, he silently inquired how they were doing. Kili gave a shrug, and Gwyn smiled. Reassured, he asked a question that had been niggling at the back of his mind for some time.

"Gwyn, what was the cause of that oh so entertaining behavior when you were freeing yourself of the spiders' webs? Was it some strange dance?"

"Not really, no. I just REALLY don't like spiders," Gwyn answered.

"Well, I don't think anyone actually _likes_ spiders, but you didn't see any of us behaving like that," Kili said, from his position behind Gwyn.

"Yeah, when I say I don't like spiders, I mean I'm completely terrified of them. When I was two years old my older sister was watching me for the night, and she told me an horrific story about spiders, thus instilling an intense fear of them within me. To this day I can't even _look_ at a picture of a spider without chills going down my spine."

The rest of their conversation was cut short when their elven guards harshly shoved them to keep moving. Gwyn leveled an arch look at the elf that was guarding her when she stumbled. The elf merely smirked in response, before shoving her again to make Gwyn quicken her pace. From behind her, Gwyn could hear Kili grumbling under his breath at the elves' treatment of his girl, and that made Gwyn smile.

Before long, the Company was led into the palace of the Elvenking of the Greenwood. They were separated and thrown into dungeon cells that were tiny, even for dwarves. Gwyn could tell that her cell was situated between Fili's and Kili's cells. To her left she could hear Kili conversing with the red-haired she-elf Tauriel.

"Aren't you going to search me? I could have anything down my trousers," he said.

"Or nothing," Tauriel responded, before closing the door on him. Gwyn's eyes narrowed at the flirtations, and she began to formulate a plan.

From up and down the corridor of cells she could hear the dwarves shouting abuse at their captors, and trying to break free of the bars. Gwyn took a few moments to survey her accommodations, when she heard Balin call out about the futility of their struggles.

"Leave it! There's no way out! This is no orc dungeon, these are the halls of the Woodland Realm. No one leaves here, but by the King's consent!"

Gwyn smirked, eyes lighting upon a bench that doubled as a cot set against the far wall of her cell, an idea coming to her mind. She began shifting it towards the door of her cell. Fili and Kili could hear her movements, and the quiet scraping of the bench against the flagstone floor.

"What are you doing, mizimel?" Fili asked.

"Conducting an experiment," she said quietly, just barely loud enough for the brothers to hear. With a quiet grunt of effort, Gwyn propped the bench against the hinges of her cell door, like a crowbar. Doing a quick analysis of her set up, Gwyn put all of her weight behind the bench. The dwarves heard the creak and groan of straining iron, before a terrific clang echoed through the dungeons. Gwyn's door had come free of its hinges, swinging open on the lock, and she snuck out of the cell. Several of the dwarves began shouting in confusion at the commotion, and Gwyn quickly told them all to be quiet. Gwyn quickly made her way to each of the cells, giving the dwarves cheeky smiles. Coming upon Balin's cell, she gave him a wink.

"Lass, how did you manage that? Not even Dori could bend these bars!" the old dwarf said.

"It was all a matter of proper leverage. Now if you'll excuse me, that wasn't exactly subtle, so the elves will be coming soon," Gwyn said, before making her way towards Kili's cell. When he saw her appear in front of his cell, Kili began fretting.

"What are you doing? You need to try and get out of here!" he whispered vehemently.

"This wasn't an escape attempt, far too loud for that. No, this was to prove a point to the elves here that we're a resourceful bunch." Having said that, Gwyn hunkered down in front of Kili's cell, waiting for the elves to appear.

She didn't have to wait long, as Tauriel and Legolas came running down the stairs. When they saw Gwyn free of her cell, they both stared incredulously. Gwyn smirked at them.

"How are you not in a cell? What sorcery is this?" Legolas demanded.

"No sorcery, just resourcefulness, Highness," Gwyn replied quietly. Behind her, she could feel Kili's nervousness.

Tauriel drew one of her knives and held the blade against Gwyn's throat. Gwyn raised an eyebrow and gently removed the blade from her neck, expression never belying the fear that was making her heart pound in her chest. Kili was pacing his cell behind her.

Tauriel's eyes hardened and she grit her teeth at how nonchalant this little girl was. Tauriel could tell that Gwyn was neither impressed nor afraid of the much taller elves. Replacing her blade at Gwyn's throat, Tauriel began her own questioning.

"You never answered the Prince's question. What sorcery did you use to free yourself, witch?" the Captain barked.

Gwyn rolled her eyes before responding. "As I said before, it was no sorcery, I just used my intellect, which you have vastly underestimated, Tauriel. Look for yourself, and you will figure out how I freed myself." The elves did look into Gwyn's cell and saw that the cot had been moved.

"You are too small to have freed yourself without aid. Who helped you?" Legolas sneered.

"It was just a matter of leverage. Using the proper leverage, anything is possible." Gwyn answered.

Not satisfied with her answers, the two elves eyed her warily, conversing in Sindarin. From their gestures, Gwyn knew they were trying to figure out what to do with her. Taking advantage of their distraction, Gwyn pushed the knife from her throat, hand reaching backwards to grasp Kili's hand through the bars of his cell door.

The elves turned back to the girl, still obviously unsure of how to contain her. Gwyn took a deep breath before making her suggestion known.

"From my observations, your dungeon is quite small compared to the size of your realm. By holding myself and my companions prisoner, you have filled it beyond capacity, and now one of your cells is unusable for the foreseeable future. I noticed that there were a few cells that held more than one dwarf. I am willing to not try to escape, if you allow me to share a cell with the dwarf behind me."

Legolas quirked a brow at Gwyn's boldness, he was somewhat impressed by her nerves. "If we were to allow that, how do we know that you will uphold your end of the bargain?" he asked.

"I swear that I will not attempt to escape again, should you place me in the cell behind me," Gwyn answered solemnly. Knowing that he really didn't have much wiggle room, the elf prince called for the keeper of the keys. When Legolas turned his back, Gwyn smirked at Tauriel, who was obviously furious that her prince had been outmaneuvered by a girl who traveled with _dwarves_.

When the elf guard appeared with the keys, Gwyn docilely passed into her new cell, glad that her strategy had paid off. The two elves turned to leave, but Legolas lingered a moment.

"How did you know who we are? I have never seen your kind before," he asked.

Gwyn smiled mysteriously before responding, "I have my ways, Highness." When the blond elf turned to walk away, Gwyn reached out, snagging his sleeve. The prince raised his eyebrow at that. "Before you go, if you wish for a happy future with a certain flame-haired Captain of the Guard, you should learn to disregard your father, and follow your heart. She returns your affections, but she fears retribution from your father," Gwyn said. Legolas was unnerved by the girl's predictions and swiftly walked away. Gwyn knew though that Tauriel had also heard her words of warning, and she also knew that Legolas would probably ignore her.

Once the elves were gone, Gwyn allowed herself to slump in relief. Kili quickly turned her to face him, eyes worried, before pulling her into a tight embrace and a hard, desperate kiss. The other dwarves had heard Gwyn's exchange with the elves, and they were marveling at her audacity. From his cell, Thorin was quietly proud of the girl his nephews had chosen.

"What in the name of Mahal were you thinking? They could have killed you! The red-haired one looked like she _wanted_ to kill you!" he whisper-shouted.

"I had to figure out some way to show the elves that we should not be underestimated. That was the best plan I could come up with. Besides, I don't like the way Tauriel was looking at you," Gwyn pouted.

"Ah, so you were jealous, weren't you pundurith?" Kili teased, reassured that Gwyn was truly safe.

"Maybe a bit, Mister I-Could-Have-Anything-In-My-Trousers. Seriously?" Gwyn lifted an eyebrow at the dwarf, who merely started laughing at her. Hurt washed over Gwyn and she lowered her gaze. Noticing look in her eyes, Kili quickly sobered and sat them both down on his, now their, cot.

"Oh, pundurith, you have no reason to worry. I wear your braid and your gift proudly. I am yours, all of me, never doubt that. And I'm sure Fili echoes the sentiment." Fili, for his part, had been listening closely, and he quickly agreed with his brother.

"Kili speaks the truth, mizimel. We are yours, as surely as you are ours."

Mollified, Gwyn granted Kili with a small smile, before settling against him. The stress of confronting and bargaining with a prince and captain of the guards, coupled with the lack of sleep everyone in the Company had been suffering since they entered Mirkwood and the residual tension from the spider attacks was resulting in complete exhaustion. Gwyn was dimly aware of Kili laying them both down on the cot, settling himself on the outside and cuddling her close. Just before she fell asleep, Gwyn thought to ask about the pet names he and his brother had bestowed upon her.

"Kili?"

"Yes, pundurith?"

"What do 'mizimel' and 'pundurith' mean?"

"Well, 'mizimel' means 'jewel of all jewels', and 'pundurîth' means 'kitten' although the literal translation is 'cat that is young'." Gwyn gave a sleepy hum, and her breathing soon evened out. Kili smiled into her hair and allowed her slow, even breaths to lull him to sleep.

* * *

The dwarves were awakened the next morning by elven guards bringing them food and water. Gwyn could hear her companions griping at the fare, simple bread and cheese, but she was grateful for it. The Company's rations from Beorn had run out long ago, when they were lost in the forest, so even simple foods were welcome. However, Gwyn did not allow herself to eat all of her meal, hiding some of it in a secluded corner of the cell. When Kili looked confused at her actions she merely smiled. Later, the guards returned to take the prisoners' plates and cups.

Some time later, Gwyn wasn't sure how long, she heard a small "Psst!" at the cell door. Kili looked wary that there was no one at the door, but Gwyn smiled brightly.

"Bilbo! How are you faring? Better than us, I hope!" she whispered.

"Indeed. Although I dare not take much food from the kitchens, lest these elves discover me."

"Don't worry, my stealthy little friend. Here," and Gwyn handed him the stash of food she had hidden. "I know you must be hungry. If I can, I will try to hide at least some of each of the meals these elves bring us, and you can have that."

Although she could not see his face, Bilbo was smiling at his friend's generosity. "I thank you, but are you sure? I would not like to think of you starving yourself, just so that I can eat."

"Of course I'm sure. You need food to be able to figure out a way to get us out of here. Have you found our supplies yet?"

"Yes, they're being kept in the guard room. I'm thinking that I shall start trying to re-equip everyone, but it shall have to be slowly, so the elves don't notice anything's amiss."

"I understand. I only ask that you try and get me Lord Elrond's satchel, with the healing supplies he gave me, sooner rather than later. Kili and I can hide that easily enough, and I have a feeling that we'll be needing it soon."

"I will try my best," and it was here that Bilbo finally notice Kili watching everything carefully. "How did you two get the elves to let you share a cell?"

"We didn't originally, but through some creative thinking I was able to convince them. Look at the cell directly to the right, and you might be able to figure it out," Gwyn said with a wink. "You should go, before the elves come and find you out. Stay safe!"

"I will try. If I can, I will be back later with the satchel."

"Thank you," Gwyn said, although she figured Bilbo was probably gone and did not hear her.

"Perhaps Gandalf was right, and that Bilbo Baggins is a good choice for a burglar," Kili said quietly. "If he is able to come and go unseen, then he must be skilled indeed."

"There is more to him than meets the eye, that's for sure" Gwyn answered. Before they could continue their conversation, Tauriel and Legolas appeared.

"The king says you are to come with us, girl," the red-haired elf snapped, obviously still angry at Gwyn for having outsmarted them the night before. When Kili started to protest, Gwyn smiled at him.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," she said. Before the elves took her from the cell, she gave Kili a deep kiss, remnants of her earlier jealousy leading her to establish her claim on the dark haired dwarf. Gwyn could see Tauriel seething as she was led away. As she passed the other dwarves' cells she could hear them shouting abuse at the elves once again. She rolled her eyes at their protectiveness, but she was gladdened by it as well. It gave her strength, which she was sure to need when she faced the Elvenking of Mirkwood.

* * *

Gwyn was led through the winding halls of the palace, she quickly lost track of how many turns they took, when they finally stopped on a platform of sorts in the very heart of the palace. Before her, lounging on his throne, sat Thranduil, the Elvenking of Mirkwood. Her two escorts bowed their heads in deference to their king, but Gwyn merely stared at him impassively. He had long silvery blond hair and cold, calculating grey eyes, which studied Gwyn intensely. Internally, Gwyn was a shaking ball of nerves at the intimidating figure before her, but she did her best to not let it show. When she saw a brief flash of anger in the king's eyes, she knew she was succeeding.

"So, you are the girl who outwitted my son, and tricked him into letting you share a cell with a dwarf," Thranduil's eyes flashed towards Legolas, irritation clear in the piercing gaze. "It should be noted though, that one of the dwarves need only have asked, and we would have let them share a cell with their whore, you did not have to humiliate my son."

Gwyn allowed her impassive, unimpressed mask to slip, belying her offense at being referred to as a whore. From the various shouts of outrage echoing up from the dungeons, she could tell that her companions had heard the insult. Slowly, a plan began to form in her mind, bringing a cold smirk to her face. If Thranduil was taken aback at the girl's sudden change in attitude, he gave no indication of it.

"I assure you, my lord, the girl is no whore. We would be able to tell. She was well armed when we captured her and the others. She also knew how to handle her weapons skillfully. A whore would not have been able to do so," Legolas spoke up from his position slightly behind Gwyn's right side. Gwyn was surprised at Legolas' defense of her, although she did not show it. The fact that his son was coming to the defense of the wench who had outwitted him the night before obviously rankled Thranduil.

"Besides, _my lord_ , surely you are old enough to recognize dwarven courtship braids when you see them. Why would a whore proudly wear courtship braids? It would negatively affect her business," the mocking tone in Gwyn's voice clear as she gestured to the aforementioned braids.

"Ah yes, so you are betrothed to the nephews of Thorin Oakenshield. Tell me, girl, what is your purpose in my kingdom?" Gwyn wasn't sure how he knew which dwarves she was being courted by, but she wasn't going to draw attention to it.

Pitching her voice so that she was sure it would carry throughout the Elvenking's palace, Gwyn retorted, "I'll not tell you anything! You are nothing more than a common bully, trying to intimidate myself and my friends into disclosing our personal business! You think that you can treat people like rubbish, and they will still bow and scrape before you? Others might, but I certainly won't! Furthermore, I have heard how you abandoned your _allies_ when they lost their home! That was indeed a cowardly thing to do! You turned your back on them when a dragon stole their home, and you turned them away when they came to you for food and shelter! No, I'll not tell you anything! You have no right to know!" When Gwyn finished her rant, Thranduil was obviously furious, but Gwyn did not care. Waving a hand, Thranduil called forward several guards.

"Strip her to the waist, we'll show the dwarves what her insolence bought her. Perhaps then they will cooperate," he ordered. Two of the guards began to do as instructed, removing Gwyn's tunic and her shirt, her corset having been taken upon her capture. A few more guards stepped forward, carrying a post which they inserted into a concealed hole in the floor. Gwyn was bent forward, and her arms were wrapped around the post, before being roughly tied. Turning her head slightly, she saw a guard step forward unwinding a long braided whip. She had barely braced herself when she heard the whip sing through the air, to land upon her bare back. She inhaled harshly through her teeth, but did not cry out. She would not give the elves that satisfaction. The whip fell on her back several more times, each time harder than the time before. Gwyn did not see Legolas and Tauriel exchange a strange look, before the elf prince snuck away.

Gwyn lost track of how many lashes she took, but she was dimly proud of herself for never once crying out in pain. She was not, however, as successful at keeping tears from falling from her eyes. She knew that tears were an unconscious reaction to pain, but she still tried her damnedest to will them away. As it was, only a few had fallen, which she knew angered the Elvenking. After an unknown amount of time, Thranduil raised a hand, stopping the elf wielding the whip.

"Enough. It is clear that the girl will not break. Take her back to the dungeons. Make sure all the dwarves see what she brought upon herself." Legolas, having returned from his mysterious errand, and Tauriel escorted Gwyn back to the cell she shared with Kili. The red-haired elf carried Gwyn's shirt and her tunic, impressed that the girl had been able to withstand the whipping without weeping, crying out, or falling unconscious. She had Tauriel's grudging respect for the strength and mastery of self that showed.

When Gwyn and her escorts reached the dungeons, Gwyn was very grateful that the elven guards who stripped her hadn't managed to take her bra, which had miraculously survived her whipping, preserving her modesty in front of the dwarves. Walking along the corridor of cells though, she was intensely self-conscious as all their eyes followed her progress back to her cell. However, Gwyn could tell they were not admiring her figure, but staring at the lash marks forming a grim lattice of cuts all across her back. Still, she did not shrink back, rather she stood tall, and let the dwarves see what the elves did to her for her loyalty to them. All of the dwarves were aware that she had never cried out, but when they saw her walking tall they realized that she had not fainted either, as many had expected. They were all proud to call her friend, and when Thorin saw what the elves had done, he was astounded at Gwyn's strength. Once again, he felt that his nephews had chosen well.

Finally, Gwyn was let back into the cell she shared with Kili, but he was not alone. Fili was in the cell with him. That was where Legolas had gone during Gwyn's whipping. He put the two brothers into one cell, so that when she returned they would be able to care for her. Legolas gently handed Gwyn over to Fili, while Kili took her shirt and tunic from Tauriel. Feeling the brothers' gentle hands on her, she gave them both a weak smile, before finally succumbing to the unconsciousness that had been tugging on her since halfway through her whipping. She sagged in Fili's arms, and the brothers carefully maneuvered her to lie on the cot.

* * *

When she came to some time later, she could feel a pair of hands gently stroking her hair, while a second pair lightly dabbed at her back with a damp cloth. When the hands on her back got too close to a particularly tender cut she hissed in pain, wincing.

"I am sorry, mizimel. I do not mean to cause you pain, but I must clean your back, lest these wounds get infected," Fili said gently.

"Here, pundurith, focus on me. How were you able to stand such a whipping? I have seen Dwalin cry out at less," Kili said, trying to divert Gwyn's attention from the pain in her back.

"Sheer stubbornness. I didn't want to give that arrogant prick who calls himself a king the satisfaction of knowing he caused me pain," Gwyn gritted out, wincing occasionally as Fili tended to her back.

"I never thought I'd see the day when a girl was more stubborn than Dwalin and Uncle combined," Kili tried to joke.

"Well, I'd have to be pretty damn stubborn to put up with you dwarves!" Gwyn bit out. The brothers chuckled quietly in agreement.

"Oh my word! What in the world happened to your back?" a fourth voice whispered from the cell door.

"Hello Bilbo. I'm sure you heard what happened. I rather let my tongue get away with me, and the king didn't like it," Gwyn answered. "Did you bring the satchel?"

"Yes, I did. Here," and the satchel suddenly appeared on the floor of the cell, just inside the bars. Kili quickly made his way over to it before passing it to his brother.

"How are you able to clean her back? I know the elves haven't brought you food yet, so where did you get the water?" Bilbo asked.

"Surprisingly, it was the blond elf, Legolas who supplied the basin and the rags. He brought it when he put me in the cell with Kili. He told me to keep it hidden though, until they brought Gwyn back," Fili answered.

"Well, that apple apparently fell very far from the tree indeed!" Bilbo said.

"I'm not sure about that. I think it's more likely that he is impressed that I was able to outsmart him last night, and withstand his father's treatment of me earlier," Gwyn mused. "I think it might have helped that I gave him a bit of advice about Tauriel, the red-haired elf usually by his side."

"Perhaps. I hear the elves coming, I must go!" Fili and Kili scrambled to hide their contraband and only moments later elven guards bearing food and water rounded the corner. The elves eyed the trio with ill-disguised disgust, and after they had turned away Gwyn gestured rudely at their retreating backs. The two dwarves and their girl quietly ate, Gwyn once again setting some food aside for Bilbo, for the next time he came around. Their meager meal finished, Kili fished out the satchel from Lord Elrond, before rummaging through it.

He withdrew a small jar of greenish cream that said "for use treating lashes from a whip" in neat writing. He gently tossed it to his brother, who caught it deftly and began gently smoothing the cream over Gwyn's abused skin. She sighed as the cream took away much of the pain. Once all of the marks on her back had been treated, Fili helped her sit up. Before, when the elves had brought her back from her meeting with Thranduil, they had been too worried about her safety to admire her shirtless form. However, now that she was safe and her back had been tended to, they looked all they wanted. It did not take long for Gwyn to realize what her dwarves were staring at and she cleared her throat to get their attention. She raised her eyebrow though when they didn't even look up at her. Crossing her arms over her chest seemed to make the staring worse.

"Excuse me, boys, where's my shirt? Only it's a bit cold in this draughty dungeon," Gwyn asked. She could have sworn that she heard Kili, ever the flirt, mutter something along the lines of "so we noticed." They still only stared at her bra-clad chest, though. Gwyn vaguely remembered seeing Tauriel pass her shirt and tunic to Kili, so she sidled over to where the dark haired dwarf sat on the floor of the cell. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, so to speak, she straddled the dwarf's lap and physically lifted his chin so that she could look him in the eyes.

"Kili," she purred, "where did you put my shirt? I would hate for the elves to see any more than they already have of what belongs to you and your brother." Apparently, that was the exactly right thing to say at exactly the wrong time, for no sooner had she finished speaking than Kili claimed her mouth in a demanding kiss, while Fili lunged from his position on the cot to press himself against Gwyn's back. She hissed into Kili's mouth when the fabric of Fili's shirt rubbed against the tender skin of her back, but that did not deter the dwarves. Gwyn could feel Fili pressing kisses to the juncture where her neck met her shoulder, the beads on his mustache bumping lightly against her skin. Gwyn was dimly aware of a needy moan, though she didn't know who it came from. When she heard two male voices chuckle darkly though, she realized that the sound must have come from her, which reminded her of their current situation.

She pushed the brothers away, trying to ignore their eyes, blue and brown, both dark with ill-concealed lust. Her breath caught in her throat at the looks, before steeling her resolve.

"As enjoyable as that was, and believe me it was enjoyable, I don't relish the thought of going any further without being somewhere not a dungeon, where practically anyone under the sun can see or hear us! No, I would much rather have you both all to myself, the first time we go…there. Now, seriously, where's my shirt?"

The brothers were still staring at Gwyn's chest, and unlikely to stop until she put a shirt on. Huffing in irritation, Gwyn starting looking around for where Kili was likely to have tossed her shirt and tunic, before finally spotting it under the cot. When she crawled underneath it to fetch her clothes, Gwyn could feel the eyes of her two dwarves staring at another part of her anatomy. Rolling her eyes, Gwyn extricated herself from under the cot and pulled on her shirt, wincing when it passed over the wounds on her back. Spell broken, the brothers had the grace to look somewhat ashamed of their behavior, but from the glint in their eyes Gwyn knew it was an act. Smiling at them, she gave them each a kiss on the cheek, careful not to stray further.

"Kili, how did my clothes get under the cot?" Gwyn asked.

"When you fainted I dropped them to help Fili get you laying down, one of us must have kicked them under," he replied.

"I see. So it wasn't intentional on your parts, so that you could ogle me?"

"Not really, although that was quite a lovely benefit. The view was even lovelier, mizimel," Fili said. Gwyn had to chuckle at that, before stifling a yawn. When her dwarves began bickering in Khuzdul, gesturing at the cot, Gwyn assumed they were discussing the sleeping arrangements. They both wanted to sleep beside her, protecting her, but they couldn't decide which one would actually get to. Gwyn took the matter out of their hands, entirely.

"Both of you, get over here. I'm tired, and I find myself in need of some company while I sleep," she said.

"That's exactly it, pundurith. Which of us will provide you with that company?" Kili said.

"As I said, _both of you_. It will be a tight fit, all three of us on this cot, but we can do it. Now, come on!" Grumbling somewhat to themselves over the bossiness of their girl, the brothers settled themselves in their now traditional places, Kili curled protectively around Gwyn's back, while Fili wrapped himself around her from the front, her head tucked under his chin. The three were pressed close that night, but none of them fell off the cot while they slept.

* * *

The days in Thranduil's dungeons began to blur. The elves would bring them food and drink twice a day, and Bilbo would occasionally visit. On each of his visits, at Gwyn's suggestion, the burglar would bring them some of their equipment. He began by bringing Gwyn her corset, which was promptly stashed under the cot. Next, he brought Fili's throwing axes, which joined Gwyn's corset. Slowly, their weapons store was replenished, all of the items hidden under the cot, to be retrieved when Bilbo freed them from the dungeons.

Gwyn continued to provide Bilbo with food, although she could tell that he was growing frustrated at his inability to help his friends escape. One day, after overhearing the elven guards who brought the morning meal discussing a feast, Gwyn thought to remind Bilbo to check the cellars, that there might be a hidden way out.

Sure enough, within a few hours of that conversation Bilbo was scurrying back to the dwarves and girl with the keys to their cells. The prisoners quickly re-armed themselves, and Gwyn hurriedly grabbed the satchel from Lord Elrond, before sneaking out to follow the hobbit. The dwarves were excited to finally be back on their way, but Gwyn knew the excitement wouldn't last. When the Company stopped, the dwarves realized they were in the cellars.

"I don't believe it, we're in the cellars!" Kili hissed.

"You were supposed to be getting us out, not leading us further in!" Bofur snapped.

"Trust me, this is a way out. Now, everyone please get into a barrel." Bilbo said, leading the Company over to a stack of empty barrels. The dwarves renewed their protest, and Gwyn rolled her eyes, heading over to claim one for herself. When the dwarves further balked at being stuffed into the barrels, Bilbo turned pleading eyes to Thorin, who snapped at the dwarves.

"Do as he says!" and there was a mad scramble for the barrels. Gwyn found herself once more between Fili and Kili, and at their looks of apprehension she smiled reassuringly.

"What do we do now?" Bofur asked.

"Hold your breath!" Bilbo said, before he pulled the large lever next to him. Before the dwarves could question the advice, they found themselves rolling down a trap door, and plunging into a cold river. Gwyn heard several of the dwarves shout at the sudden change in temperature, but she could do nothing more than gasp. She pitied Bilbo, who had suddenly dropped into the river behind them, for he didn't have a barrel to keep him relatively dry.

"Well done, Master Baggins," Thorin praised. The Company then began to paddle themselves further into the current, letting that take over. They plunged over a small waterfall, which drew shouts of alarm from several of the dwarves. Gwyn just clenched her teeth so she wouldn't bite her tongue.

From the various shouts in Elvish, the Company realized their absence had been noticed. Gwyn saw a small drain ahead and she knew that the Company would get bottlenecked there. Sure enough, a guard pulled a large lever, and the gate closed, blocking their escape. Gwyn's barrel was trapped between Fili and Kili's, somewhat sheltered by the gate. One of the guards on the bridge over the gate suddenly fell, as the elf's shoulder was pierced by a raggedly fletched arrow. _So the orcs are here, lovely,_ Gwyn thought grimly. She grit her teeth and drew her twin swords, which she had decided to call Bramble and Thorn. A few other members of the Company drew their weapons as well.

Gwyn saw Kili eyeing the lever, and she knew what was about to happen. There were orcish and elvish bodies falling all around, splashing into the river around the barrels. Gwyn was fighting off a particularly ugly orc when she saw Kili leap from his barrel and scramble towards the lever. He had tossed his sword to his brother, leaving him unarmed. Thinking quickly, Gwyn drew one of her boot knives and threw it as hard as she could at the orc about to attack Kili. In the process of doing so, however, Gwyn upset the precarious balance of her bobbing barrel, and tipped forward, missing the grateful glance Kili sent her way. Righting herself, Gwyn spluttered and coughed, shaking her head to clear her eyes. That was when she saw the arrow protruding from Kili's right thigh.

"KILI!" she screamed, before launching herself into attacking the orcs, cutting them down viciously from her barrel. She saw Kili pull himself up and pull the lever, opening the gate. As the barrels began moving again, Gwyn watched as Kili jumped back into his barrel, snapping the arrow off in the process. Gwyn wished she had her _hithlain_ , which could have prevented his injury entirely.

As the Company proceeded down the river, they were pursued by the orcs, who were in turn pursued by the elves. The Company fought hard, working together to kill as many of their enemies as they could. Gwyn found herself fighting laughter, though, when Bombur's barrel was launched through the air, courtesy of an orc spear. The rotund dwarf broke his barrel when he landed, and using orcish weapons, began spinning like a top, cutting down orcs with every pass of the blades. The way cleared, Bombur jumped into an intact barrel, huffing at the effort.

* * *

Eventually, the Company had outrun the orcs, and so they began paddling towards the closest shore. Every single member of the looked bedraggled, elaborately braided hairstyles wet and undone. As they straggled to shore, Gwyn pulled herself half out of her barrel, when nausea overcame her. Crouching down, she promptly emptied the contents of her stomach onto the ground between her hands. Feeling gentle hands holding her hair back, she recognized Fili's boots from the corner of her eye. Before she could thank him though, her stomach rebelled a second time, though there was nothing to bring up but bile. Breathing through her nose, Gwyn gained mastery over her body, and was grateful for Fili's help crawling out of her barrel and avoiding her puddle of sick. Gwyn was aware that Dwalin was laughing at her weakness, having avoided being sick himself, but Gwyn had no patience for him.

"Laugh all you want Master Dwalin, but I was not the one who screamed like a little girl as we passed through the first set of rapids!" she snapped, drawing snickers from a few others.

Scanning the dwarves on the shore, Gwyn quickly located Kili, sitting by himself prodding at his leg. Checking to make sure her satchel was intact, Gwyn hurried over to him, motioning for several others to join her.

"Kili's wounded! His leg needs binding," Fili called to Thorin.

"Hurry up. You have two minutes," their leader barked, as he scanned to find a way around the lake.

"No, if we don't take the time to treat this now, Kili will die! That wasn't just any arrow, it was a Morgul arrow! It will start to poison him if we don't do anything RIGHT NOW!" Gwyn shouted, catching everyone off guard that she would raise her voice at Thorin. He glowered at her, but she stood her ground.

"Fine, see to his leg. Alert us when you are done," Thorin snapped.

Gwyn and Oin knelt next to Kili, examining the wound.

"The arrow head is still in his leg. Before we can bind it we need to get it out, or else it will continue to poison him," Oin said. Motioning to Gloin and Fili, Gwyn told them quietly what needed to be done. Turning back to Kili, she pressed a kiss to his lips in apology for what she needed to do. She then straddled his lower legs, immobilizing them. Kili shot her a panicked look, which she tried to soothe away with a sad smile.

"Kili, I'm going to have to dig the arrowhead out of your leg, and it will hurt. I'm so sorry my love, but it has to be done now or you will be lost to us within a few days," Gwyn said. Turning to Fili and Gloin, she said, "Hold him down. Has anyone got something he can bite down on?" At this, several hands held out tools, of which Gwyn selected a stick about as big around as her thumb that someone held out for her. Giving it to Kili she told him to place it between his teeth, which he did.

"I'm sorry we don't have anything for the pain, but when I tell you to, I want you to bite down, hard, on that stick. Understand?" He nodded, and Gwyn withdrew one of the knives from her boots. Making sure that Fili and Gloin had strong grips on his upper body, she began counting.

"On the count of three, bite down. One, two, three!" and when she said three, Gwyn dug her knife into his wound, fishing out the embedded arrowhead. Kili was screaming in pain, and Gwyn's heart broke that she was the one to cause it. A few tears slipped down her cheeks, but finally she was able to get a grip on the arrowhead and draw it from Kili's leg. She nodded at Gloin and Fili that they could let go, as she moved off Kili's legs. He lay back, panting from the pain, although Gwyn couldn't tell if he was sweating or not, wet as they all were from the trip in the barrels. Taking the stick from between his teeth, Gwyn began murmuring praise at Kili as she peppered kisses on his face.

"You did so well, my love. So strong and so brave. The worst part is over. I just have to apply medicine to your leg and bind it and then we're done. You're doing so well." Fishing through her satchel, Gwyn quickly located the jar marked Athelas, which had already been prepared into a paste. Unscrewing the lid of the jar, Gwyn was surprised to note there was an Elvish spell inscribed on the jar, and what surprised her even more was that she knew how to read it. Scooping a bit of the paste into her hand, she gently began smoothing it over Kili's injury, rubbing it in a bit, all the while chanting the Elvish spell. She had no idea what she was saying, but she could feel warmth flowing through her, into Kili's leg. After three recitations of the spell, she stopped, and began searching for clean bandages to wrap around Kili's leg. Finding them in wrapped in oilcloth to keep them dry, she began to wind them tightly enough to staunch the bleeding, but not so tightly as to hinder blood flow to the rest of Kili's leg.

Her task finished, Gwyn went to stand by the river to wash her hands clean of her love's blood, and the remnants of the athelas paste. She also took several deep breaths and splashed the cold water onto her face to calm her nerves. Turning around, she noticed that everyone in the Company was staring at her in undisguised astonishment. Suddenly self-conscious, she asked, "What are you all staring at?"

Oin was the one who replied. "I think I speak for everyone when I say, how in the name of Mahal did you know an Elvish healing spell?"

"To answer your question, it was written on the jar, which was given to me by Lord Elrond, at my request. He must have known we would have need of the spell to enhance the properties of the athelas paste, so he thoughtfully provided it, although I'm completely unsure of how I knew how to read the spell," she answered.

"Well, I'm glad you knew it, and I'm sure Kili is too, considering you just saved his life with it," Fili said. Gwyn was surprised to hear the pride in his voice when he talked of her saving his brother's life. Nervously, Gwyn began fiddling with her hair, pleased to note that her courtship beads and braids were intact, as were Fili's and Kili's, which was surprising considering that no one else's braids had survived the barrel rides. She smiled gently as she made her way back over to Kili.

"How are you doing, my love? Not in too much pain, are you?"

"I've been better, but I've also been worse. I'll be fine," he said, making a poor attempt at reassuring Gwyn, especially considering how pale and shaky he looked. "Do you realize this is the first time you've called me anything other than my name?"

"It's true, I do love you and your brother, although I wish the first time I admitted it was under happier circumstances."

"So do I, pundurith, so do I." Fili joined them just as Balin and Thorin began waving to get everyone's attention. Heaving Kili up to stand, the three slowly made their way over to the others.

"We've found a way into Lake-Town. Master Bargeman will smuggle us in, for a price, everyone give what you can," Thorin said. Fishing through her satchel, Gwyn was pleased to find her coin purse stashed away. She handed it to Balin, who thanked her. Slowly the Company trickled their way onto the barge, though Gwyn was dismayed to see how badly Bilbo was shivering, already looking a bit feverish.

"Are you alright, Bilbo? You don't look well at all," she said kindly.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just cold is all," he replied, although his claim that he was fine was negated by a large sneeze. Once everyone was on board, the bargeman, Bard, began steering the craft across the lake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> True story, when I was two years old, my older sister babysat me for my first night away from home. She showed me the film "Arachnophobia," and I've been traumatized ever since. Thranduil's portrayal in the films really reminds me of Lucius Malfoy, so I always had that in mind when I was writing those scenes. I hope his treatment of Gwyn isn't too out of character for an elf, but if it is I'm blaming it on what Beorn says, "They are wood-elves. Less wise and more dangerous than their kin."


	11. Chapter 10

When the barge drew closer to Lake-Town, Bard told the Company to climb back into the barrels, so that they could be more easily smuggled into the town. While the others began to do as ordered, Gwyn stopped Fili, Kili, and Bilbo from also doing so. Gwyn huffed at the impatient looks she got from Bard and Thorin, but Balin and Oin seemed to already have an idea of what she was up to.

"We'll not be riding in barrels," she said. "He's injured, being cramped in a barrel would make the injury worse by impeding healing," Gwyn gestured to Kili, before pointing to Bilbo, "he's ill, being in a barrel would be risky because he could sneeze and then we'd all be found out," she pointed to Fili, "he won't go anywhere or do anything that would get in the way of his ability to protect his brother," and at Fili's look she added, "or me, and I'm the only person here smart enough to be able to come up with a plausible enough story to get us in." Bard scoffed at that, and Gwyn raised here eyebrow at his disbelief. She could hear the barrel-bound dwarves taking wagers on how embarrassed the smuggler would be when Gwyn was proven right.

"Fine, you four stay out of the barrels, but it's on your heads if you're tossed into the town jail," Bard snapped. Steering the boat to a small dock on the outskirts of the town, Bard quickly disembarked and spoke in hurried, hushed tones to the man who appeared to greet him. Before the dwarves could gripe too much about the delay and perceived betrayal though, fish from the lake were being emptied from a net into the barrels, concealing the dwarves.

"That, my love, is another reason why you shouldn't have been in a barrel," Gwyn whispered to a pale and shaking Kili. As Bard began to maneuver his barge slowly towards another dock, Fili, Kili, and Bilbo were astonished at the change that came over Gwyn. She huddled into herself, shuddering with cold, her eyes wide and scared. Noticing the others' concerns, she flashed Bilbo a quick wink and squeezed her dwarves' hands, attempting to reassure them that this was part of her plan.

As the barge and its passengers approached a second dock, Gwyn heard a voice call out from inside a ramshackle shelter.

"Goods inspection! Oh, hello Bard. Anything to declare…" the man trailed off as he caught sight of the four figures huddled together on the deck of the barge.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Master Bargeman, I didn't think you would get in trouble for helping us!" Gwyn said in a wavering voice. "My companions and I are merchants from the Blue Mountains on our way to a market in the Iron Hills. We were attacked by orcs as we came down the river and our boat capsized. We lost everything! One of my companions is ill from the cold," here Bilbo coughed pathetically, "and one of my beloveds was struck by an orc arrow. We need shelter so that I can tend to them! Please, won't you help us?" The inspector balked when a second man, clad in black appeared.

"Not so fast. Bard, you are only to have a consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm, but these barrels are full of fish! And what's more, you carry passengers as well? You are licensed as a bargeman, not a fisherman or a ferryman, you would do well to follow your license!" the man threatened.

Gwyn stepped forward, "Please my lord, do not fault Master Bard for helping those who have lost everything! My companions and I are merchants from the Blue Mountains on our way to the Iron Hills for a market. We were attacked and our boat with our goods and supplies capsized! We lost all of it! What's more, one of my companions is ill," Bilbo gave a large, painful sounding sneeze that time, "and another is injured. We need shelter so that I can tend to them. Please my lord, take pity on us!" Gwyn implored in the same weak, wavering voice.

"We have enough beggars in this town without bringing more in!" the man said.

"We are not beggars, my lord! We merely seek shelter for a few nights, and then we will be on our way," Gwyn allowed a desperate look to pass into her eyes, "I am a seamstress! If you or the Master of this town have any clothes that need mending, I will gladly do it in exchange for shelter! You'll not find neater stiches than mine. Please my lord, we beg you, take pity on us and give us shelter!"

"Fine, but you are to be on your way as soon as you are able. I will have the mending you will do sent to the inn," the man then turned to Bard, "there is still the matter of your illegal fish." The man turned to the armed guards standing at hand, "Dump them into the lake," he ordered. The guards began to obey, but Bard was able to maintain the dwarves' cover through the use of threats of rebellion when the population of Lake-Town heard that the Master was ordering fish thrown back into the lake. The man, Bard had called him Alfrid, angrily let Bard pass, but not before making one last threat.

"The Master has his eye on you. You'd do well to remember: we know where you live!"

As Bard began steering his barge through the toll-gate he shot back, "It's a small town, Alfrid. Everyone knows where everyone lives."

As soon as Bard had steered the barge well clear of the toll gate Gwyn dropped the wide, teary-eyed look of fear she had worn during her little "act" for Alfrid. She once again wore a look of smug confidence, especially when she realized that everyone on the barge who was not in a barrel was staring at her.

"What, surprised that a little girl like me could be such a good actress?" she snarked.

"I do believe we were wrong to doubt you, even for a moment, mizimel. For that, I apologize," Fili said, pressing a kiss to Gwyn's hair.

"That was brilliant!" Kili said weakly. Bilbo nodded, before sneezing loudly several times in succession.

"How much longer until we reach our destination, Master Bard?" Gwyn asked, casting concerned looks at Kili and Bilbo. "I hope it's not too much longer, I really would like to get these two out of the cold."

"Only a few moments more, miss," the bargeman said, "I, too, apologize for doubting your decision to ride out in the open. I was merely concerned about Alfrid. He and the Master are not overly fond of me," the Man continued.

"Never would have guessed that," Gwyn muttered to herself. Out loud she said, "Thank you for your apology, and your help. You are a kind and generous man."

* * *

When Bard docked his barge and the dwarves who had hidden in the barrels were freed from their fishy hideaways, a teenaged boy approached the group.

"Da, there's men watching the house!"

Bard had the boy, who turned out to be his son Bain, lead Gwyn and her group up to his house openly, while Bard himself showed the rest of the Company a secret way into his house – via the toilet. While the other dwarves were climbing into the house, Gwyn was approached by Bard's eldest daughter.

"Miss, here are some old clothes of mine that should fit you well enough. If the skirt is too long I can easily hem it, if you'd like?" the taller girl said, handing Gwyn a soft, clean shirt, a skirt, and some petticoats as well. Some woolen stockings completed the pile, meant to keep Gwyn's feet warm on the cold wooden floors while her own boots dried in front of the fire.

"Oh, thank you very much…" Gwyn trailed off, realizing that she didn't know the other girl's name.

"My name's Sigrid. My little sister is Tilda, and our brother's name is Bain," Sigrid supplied.

"Thank you very much, Miss Sigrid. You are very kind. My name is Gwyn, and the three others that I arrived with are Fili, Kili, and Bilbo," Gwyn said, pointing to each of her companions. She would let the others introduce themselves, if they wished. Gwyn quickly snuck off to a side room Sigrid had directed her to and changed her clothes. The skirt was only a bit long, thankfully, but not quite long enough where tripping over it would be a problem. Gwyn rolled up the sleeves of the shirt, which were quite long on her, and walked out of the room carrying her wet clothes.

Once the whole Company had reassembled in Bard's house, Gwyn and Oin set about tending to Kili and Bilbo. Oin examined the patients, and Gwyn prepared a warm meal of chicken soup, using various vegetables that Bard's daughters helped find, for everyone, both as repayment for Bard's help and to help her friends avoid catching Bilbo's cold. While Gwyn was busy bustling around Bard's kitchen with the help of the Man's daughters, she had given Oin free rein of the supplies in her satchel from Lord Elrond. The apothecary dwarf immediately set about rummaging through the satchel identifying its contents. Occasionally, the dwarf would let out exclamations of surprise when he found plants that were particularly hard to come by, and each time he shouted Gwyn would chuckle at the old dwarf.

While Gwyn and Oin had occupied themselves in caring for the Company, Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin were speaking with Bard, trying to negotiate the procurement of proper weapons, instead of the makeshift ones Bard had. Checking the soup on the hearth once more – it was simmering nicely, considering she had come up with the recipe on the spot using the ingredients at hand – and wandered over to the increasingly loud voices of the four negotiators.

"We paid you for proper weapons, iron forged! Not these pieces of shit!" Dwalin argued.

"Well, that's all I have!" Bard argued back.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement," Gwyn said, wedging herself between Bard and the dwarves. Glancing at Dwalin's face, which was an alarming shade of puce, Gwyn estimated that the "negotiations" had been less than two minutes away from coming to blows. The cracking of Dwalin's knuckles only reinforced her estimation.

"What do you know, girl?" Bard spat. She rolled her eyes, before turning to the Man.

"I happen to know a lot. For example, based on my observations of Alfrid, the Master must be a real piece of work, because that's the only kind of person who would willingly deal with him. Secondly, based on the state of Town Hall, where I'm assuming the Master lives, he enjoys his wealth generated by trade with the Woodland Realm, as you said, while the rest of the town languishes in squalor. Your discussion with Alfrid contained veiled threats of rebellion, which must be something the Master fears, indicating tyranny. A tyrant in fear of rebellion would, sensibly, keep proper weapons out of the hands of the general populace, who would use the weapons to rebel. Therefore, I'm guessing the real weapons are kept locked up in the City Armory. Am I correct?" Gwyn finished her speech with a raised eyebrow directed at Bard.

The Man looked astonished at Gwyn's easy summary of the situation. The dwarves looked a bit smug, Dwalin more so than Thorin or Balin, at their host's discomfort.

"Yes, that's right. And the Master has spies watching this house, and probably every dock and wharf in the city," Bard said.

"So, that would indicate the need for a strategy to acquire these weapons, and that will take a bit of time. It's been a rough few days for us, so I recommend that we take tonight to rest, and regroup tomorrow to try and figure out how we're to go about getting the weapons," Balin said, after pausing for several moments in thought. Thorin looked like he wanted to object, but he couldn't find any flaws in Balin's plan. Gwyn could see the conflict passing over their leader's face though, so she tried to reassure him.

"If you're worried about making it in time, we still have several weeks before we have to reach our destination. By my calculations, today is the 22 of September, and Durin's Day isn't for another month," Gwyn's eyes suddenly lit up in realization. "Today's the 22 of September, it's Bilbo's birthday!" the assembled dwarves were rather stunned that Gwyn knew that tidbit of information, but did not question it. Her original plan worked though, Thorin had relaxed slightly knowing that they still had time before Durin's Day.

Just then, a small breeze wafted through Bard's home, bringing a very unpleasant smell to Gwyn's nose, which she wrinkled in response. She tried to step away from Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin, but she bumped into Gloin, who had tried to join the conversation about the weapons. Her eyes began to water from the stench.

"What in the name of all the Valar is wrong with you girl?" Dwalin growled.

"I can't decide what smelled worse, the trolls, the goblins, or you lot right now. I have to say, I'm leaning towards you," she coughed out. Turning to Bard and his children, who had also noticed the pungent odor, she inquired as to bathing facilities.

"There's a small room, downstairs, where they can bathe," Sigrid said.

"Alright you lot, you heard the girl, head downstairs and get cleaned up. When you come back, the soup will be ready," Gwyn barked, before trying to chivvy the disgruntled dwarves downstairs. Once they caught a whiff of themselves though, they were much more obliging. Fili sat close to the cot Oin had set up for Kili, a tight smile on his face. Kili, for his part, was already looking much better, less pale than he had been when they arrived in Lake-Town. Gwyn walked over to them, giggling a bit when Fili pulled her into his lap. Kili smiled tiredly, happy to see Gwyn sitting still for a few peaceful moments. Since he had been injured, Gwyn had barely stopped moving, from fighting orcs, to tending to his leg, to bustling around Bard's house making sure everything was running smoothly for the dwarves.

"We never did get a chance to thank you," Fili murmured against her neck. Casting worried glances around them, Gwyn noticed that Bard and his children had scarpered off somewhere, Bilbo was dozing by the fire, and the other dwarves were still bathing.

"Thank me for what?"

"For saving my life. If what you said was true, then you have just given my brother and myself the greatest courtship gift we could have hoped for – more time with you," Kili said with a tender expression. Gwyn's heart leapt into her throat, and she had to take several deep breaths to maintain her composure. Fili could sense her struggle, so he held her tighter, pressing gentle kisses against the bared skin of her neck. Kili sat up and gingerly swung his legs off the cot so that he could face Gwyn and his brother. He gently took Gwyn's hands in his own and placed soft kisses on her knuckles.

"As we explained at Beorn's house, the first courtship gift represents what your beloved is to you. The second gift is something needed to create a happy union. There is nothing needed for our happiness more than life and time with each other, which is what you have given us. It will be difficult for us to match your generosity, mizimel, but I'm sure Kili and I will find a way," Gwyn could hear the smirk in Fili's voice, and feel it against her skin.

"I should check on the soup," Gwyn said quietly. She needed to stay busy, otherwise panic over how close she had come to losing her dark-haired prince would consume her. Somehow she knew that if Kili died, his brother would follow soon after, and she did not want to think of that.

"Please pundurith, won't you just sit with us for a few moments? You have hardly sat down since we arrived here, and we know you must be tired. Please, just sit with us?" Kili asked, brown eyes pleading. Behind her, Fili tightened his grip around her waist, anticipating her trying to make a break for it. Fili knew what she was trying to do, how she was trying to distract herself, but he also knew that he wanted to enjoy the feel of her in his arms a while longer.

Gwyn sighed softly, before nodding her head ever so slightly and settling back against Fili's broad chest. While she had been changing into Sigrid's clothes, apparently Bard had found dry garments at least for Fili, Kili, and Bilbo, which made cuddling with her dwarves infinitely more enjoyable. And Kili had been telling the truth, she was very tired. Now that she had stopped to take a moment and sit down, she could feel all of her nerves and adrenaline seeping away, leaving exhaustion in their wake. Kili saw this, and he leaned forward, kissing Gwyn tenderly. She smiled into it, pleased that the dwarf was well enough to kiss her. After a few moments of languid kissing with Kili, Gwyn felt her head being turned and her lips met with Fili's. His kiss was decidedly hungrier than his brother's, and Gwyn gasped. Fili took advantage of her open mouth and swept his tongue in to tangle with Gwyn's. Kili, from his position, could see the flush creeping down Gwyn's neck from her cheeks, and he longed to see how far down the rosy pink went. He groaned quietly at the thought. Once again, as in the dungeons, the sound snapped Gwyn back to reality, and she broke away from Fili, chest heaving as she panted. Just then, the three heard a very distinctive throat being cleared, and as one turned to see Thorin Oakenshield glaring disapprovingly at them. Gwyn flushed even more deeply, before jumping up to tend to the soup. Fili and Kili leveled glares of their own at their uncle, angry that they had been disturbed.

Meanwhile, Gwyn was dishing up the chicken soup into bowls, which Sigrid then passed out amongst the assembled dwarves. Ladling up two last bowls, Gwyn took them over to Bilbo and Kili. She handed the soup to Kili first, before gently shaking Bilbo awake. The hobbit gazed at her blearily, and she handed him the bowl.

"Here, you need to eat this. It will help you feel better. Whenever I was ill as a child my mother always made me chicken soup, and I always felt better for it. Eat up. Oh, and by the way, happy birthday!" she said gently. The hobbit nodded, too dazed from his fever to realize that it was indeed his birthday, and obediently picked up his spoon before beginning to eat. Looking around, Gwyn noticed that Bard and his family were looking through their cupboards for something to eat themselves.

"I made sure there was plenty of soup for you and your family as well, Master Bard. I hope you don't mind, but I thought it would be nice to do something for you, since you have all been so kind to us," Gwyn said. The Man and his children murmured their thanks, before getting some soup for themselves. Seeing that everyone was settled down eating, Gwyn finally scraped the bottom of the pot to fill her own bowl. As she tucked in she was very pleased at how good the soup was. She had been rather nervous, having improvised the recipe with things she found in Bard's pantry, but everything had come together nicely.

Once everyone was finished eating, and Gwyn had received many compliments on her cooking, she began collecting the dishes to do the washing up. Everyone assembled was rather surprised that Gwyn was refusing to let someone else care after the dirty dishes. Catching his uncle's eye, Fili quickly pulled Gwyn away from the sink, where she was replaced by Ori.

"Mizimel, you were practically asleep in my lap earlier. You must rest, or else you'll fall ill, and neither Kili nor myself make very good nursemaids. At least, not nearly as good as you. Please, just sit with us," Fili said, before sitting in his chair and pulling Gwyn back onto his lap.

Kili was dozing on the cot, and Fili began untangling the rat's nest that Gwyn's hair had become. He quickly unbraided her courtship braids, and asked Bard's daughters if either of them had a brush or a comb. Sigrid told him that she did, and she hurried to fetch it. Once Fili had the comb in his hands, he began gently working the teeth through Gwyn's hair, much like he had at Beorn's house. Gwyn relaxed against him, enjoying the sensations of his fingers in her hair. Once her hair was free of knots, Fili deftly replaced the courtship braid that he had placed in her hair, telling her quietly that Kili would have to replace his own braid. Hearing his name, Kili groggily sat up, noticing what Fili was doing. Shifting Gwyn gently onto the cot (she was all but asleep at this point), Kili began plaiting his courtship braid back into her hair. When he was finished, Gwyn was completely asleep. Looking at his brother, Kili indicated that he would need help shifting Gwyn. The cot was small, and in the middle of the common room of Bard's house, near the fire. Kili knew that if he gave up the cot for Gwyn, she and Oin would both scold him. However, he also knew that his other option was to lay her on the floor nearby. Neither brother really knew what to do. Finally, Fili decided to simply move her back into his lap, and they would both sit by Kili's cot.

As the rest of the Company watched on, Bard turned to Thorin and Balin.

"What is she to them? I have watched the three of them all night, but I cannot figure out what would make them take such pains to care for her," the Man said, confusion evident in his voice. Thorin and Balin exchanged a look, before the elder dwarf began speaking.

"She is their One," he said simply.

"Their 'One'? What in Eru's name does that mean?" Bard asked.

"Dwarves love only once in their lives. Fili and Kili are exceptionally lucky to have found their One at such young ages. Many dwarves never find theirs," the white haired dwarf explained.

"So, they love her. And what are the braids they were putting in her hair?"

"Those are courtship braids. Those three have been courting for a couple of months now. When their courtship is completed, they will marry."

"Are they not brothers? If I understand you correctly, they will be sharing her. Would that not cause strife? Isn't it wrong that the three of them will marry?"

"Yes, they will share her. It is not unheard of for very close siblings like Fili and Kili to share a One, so it will not cause any strife. Mahal would not have given them one One to share if He thought that it would cause strife between the brothers," Balin said. Before the conversation could continue though, he bid Thorin and Bard goodnight, before walking away to see to his own sleeping arrangements.

"How long have you known the girl?" Bard asked Thorin.

"We met in April. She has been with us since then, and she has saved all of our lives quite a few times. She might not look it, but she is a fierce warrior, and a cunning strategist, as you have seen, while still maintaining her ability to care. She is very loyal, and protective of those she cares about. My nephews are indeed lucky to have a One such as her," Thorin said quietly. He was quite surprised at how easily he had been able to talk to Bard about Gwyn, but he did not linger on it too much.

"You speak very highly of her. From what I have seen, your nephews care for her just as much as she does for them. I think they are lucky to have each other," the bargeman replied. "It is a father's only wish that his daughters find someone to care for them as much as your nephews care for her. Goodnight, Master Dwarf," Bard said, before walking to the room he was sharing with his children while the dwarves stayed with them. Thinking about Bard's last words, Thorin settled himself down for the night close to his nephews and their One.

* * *

The next morning, Gwyn woke up long before anyone else. Her neck and back were knotted tightly from sleeping sitting up all night, and she knew that Fili would be worse off than she was, because at least he had been her pillow. She knew that she would not be able to fall back asleep, so Gwyn tried to stand up. Fili roused and tightened his arms around her. Kissing his forehead, she gently pried his arms open so that she could extricate herself. As soon as she was free though, Fili's blue eyes opened blearily.

"Where d'you think you're goin' miz'mel?" he slurred.

"Just getting up to stretch, my love. I might step outside to get a bit of fresh air. It's a bit cramped with 19 people under one small roof. I'll be back soon. Try to get some more sleep," Gwyn said quietly. Fili nodded a bit as he promptly fell back asleep. Smiling fondly, Gwyn grabbed a shawl that Bard's daughters had loaned her and opened the front door, stepping out into the cool early morning air. Looking north, she could just see the Mountain in the weak light of the lightening sky. Turning her gaze skywards, Gwyn could still see a few stars twinkling, and she sighed contentedly. They might not have been her stars that she knew in her own time, but they brought her comfort, just the same. Gwyn was leaning against the railing in front of Bard's front door, when she heard something moving slightly behind her. Before she could call out or run back inside, she felt a sharp pain at her temple, and she fell unconscious.

* * *

Later, the dwarves and Bard's family began waking up. Sigrid set about making breakfast for everyone as they roused. Fili woke up, wincing at the pain in his back and shoulders. He really shouldn't have fallen asleep in the chair, but it couldn't have been helped. Looking around, Fili saw no sign of Gwyn. He didn't worry too much though, thinking she might have just snuck off to bathe. When there was still no sign of her once the breakfast dishes were cleared away, then he truly began to worry.

"What's wrong Fili?" Thorin asked, noticing his nephew's distress.

"It's Gwyn. She got up very early, before dawn, and said that she was going to step outside for some fresh air, as she was feeling crowded. She said she would be back soon, but I don't think she is. I'm worried that something might have happened to her!" Fili said. All of the other dwarves heard the fear in the blond dwarf's voice, and so they began to fret also. Thorin quickly called on them to calm down, but he could see the angst on the faces of both his nephews.

"Well, we need to find her. Split up, stay in small groups. Try to remain unseen," Thorin ordered. When Kili moved to stand up, Thorin gently pushed him back down onto the cot.

"Stay here. Your leg is still healing. Gwyn would be angry at all of us if we let you injure yourself further. We'll find her quickly, and bring her back," Thorin said.

"I need to help look for her! I can't just stay here, and wait for word! I need to be out there with all of you!" the young dwarf insisted.

"You _need_ to let yourself heal. Wouldn't Gwyn say the same thing if she were here?"

"If she were here we wouldn't be having this discussion!"

Before the argument could escalate further, Bard let out a shrill whistle, similar to the one Gwyn frequently used to get the dwarves' attention.

"I think I know where she is. Bain said that he got up to use the toilet around dawn, and while he was below he heard heavy boots and he saw the red cloaks of the City Guards. I'm fairly certain the Master has her," Bard said.

"Very well. Where would he be keeping her?" Thorin asked.

"Probably at Town Hall, that's where the town jail is," the Man said, "I'll show you the way."

"Thank you. Oin, stay with Kili and Bilbo. The rest of you, come with me!" When he barked out that last order, Thorin honestly did not expect Bard's three children to join him, but from the angry looks on their faces, he knew it would be foolish to try and convince them to stay at their home. One glance at Bard's face showed that he recognized the same futility. Every member of their ragtag bunch was scowling fiercely as they set off for Town Hall to confront the Master, even sweet little Ori and jolly Bofur looked as though they wanted to tear the Master limb from limb.

* * *

Gwyn woke up with a groan. Not only did her back and shoulders still ache from sleeping sitting up, but now she had a fierce headache to boot. She sat up slowly, holding her aching head, feeling sticky blood under her fingers. Looking around, she saw she was in a damp little cell, and through the bars of the door she could see several guards playing some kind of dice game. Their boisterous laughter was grating, to say the least, and it did nothing to alleviate Gwyn's headache. That, combined with the fact that she was in a cell, again, resulted in a spectacularly bad mood. Glowering at the backs of the guards, she shouted at them.

"Oi, shit-for-brains! What the hell am I doing here?"

Before the guard could answer, Alfrid stepped out of the shadows near the doorway.

"You'd do well to remember your place, bitch! You shouldn't talk to your betters like that!" he said.

Gwyn rolled her eyes, headache increasing ten-fold with the appearance of the slimy little Man in front of her cell. _If people keep calling me a bitch, I'll show them how much of a bitch I can be!_ she thought angrily.

"Listen here you misogynistic little worm. None of you are my 'betters'! You obviously have some sort of complex involving women showing you for the foolish little toe-rag you are, and I can't change that. And you lot," she turned towards the guards, all of whom looked nervous at the confrontation, _good, let them be nervous. They should be,_ she thought, "You're willing to take orders from those who obviously wish harm on those who cannot defend themselves! Your people are left to freeze and starve, while this piece of nothing and his Master live in luxury? How can you abide their mistreatment of your families, your homes?" several of the guards looked highly uncomfortable at Gwyn's speech, which only served to enrage Alfrid further.

"You little whore! I'll make you pay for speaking to me thusly!"

Recalling Radagast's words at the Trollshaws, Gwyn smirked coldly. "I'd like to see you try." Before he could do anything though, they could hear a commotion outside. Fuming, Alfrid turned away to investigate the noise.

"Don't even think I'm done with you yet, bitch," and he disappeared up the stairs. He reappeared a few minutes later, even angrier than before. Pointing at one of the guards he snapped, "You there! Get the girl and bind her hands. It seems as though her 'friends' want to try and rescue her! When you've finished, bring her up!" and the Man stormed back up the stairs. Taking a piece of rough rope, the guards tightly bound Gwyn's hands in front of her, before leading her up the stairs. Gwyn blinked a bit in the sudden brightness of the Town Square, and she quickly saw her friends once her eyes had adjusted, surprised even that Bard and his children were there. Looking around, Gwyn also spotted a red-haired Man with a bad comb-over and blotchy skin standing near Alfrid. _Ah, that must be the Master,_ she thought, stumbling a bit as the guards tugged on the rope around her hands.

"Who are you to demand this whore's release? We do not allow that kind of _business_ here in my town, and as Master it is my duty to lock her up!" the balding Man called out in an oily voice. The dwarves all looked furious at Gwyn's treatment. Fili looked like he wanted to charge the guards and savage them to free Gwyn. Catching her blond prince's eye, she gave him a small smile and minutely shook her head. He nodded in understanding, but he didn't look happy about it.

"I am Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain! This girl is no whore and we demand she be freed!" Thorin bellowed. The Dwarf King continued, "We are on a journey to reclaim our homeland. If we are successful, I would see Lake-Town returned to its former glory!" He went on to promise a share of the wealth of Erebor to the Men, in exchange for weapons and supplies. During his speech the people of Lake-Town began murmuring excitedly amongst themselves. By the time he had finished, everyone was cheering the Company. The Master raised his hands for quiet.

"Be that as it may, we cannot release this girl. She is a danger to our society. She will remain in the town jail, and the rest of you will be given a house for your stay here," the Master replied. Gwyn decided she had had more than enough of the pompous windbag and his slimy little assistant, who was smirking at her. Reaching up to her cleavage, she withdrew her small bodice knife, grateful that the guards had not searched her. Working quickly, Gwyn sawed through the rope binding her hands, and she quietly started to sneak away from the guards, towards her friends. The guard holding her lead, however, felt it go slack and he and the other guards tried to grab her. She dodged them easily, relying on her smaller stature, and she came to rest near Fili. The blond dwarf put his arm around her waist, and drew her closer in an attempt to shield her.

Gwyn stepped forward, smirking at the open outrage the Master and Alfrid were displaying, seeing her free herself and the guards' inability to recapture her.

"How am I a danger to your society, _my lord_? Is it because I have outsmarted your minions or is it simply because I am a woman who does not _need_ to rely on a man? Are you worried that I will encourage the women of your town to stand up for themselves against your guards? Your guards attacked me without provocation, taking me prisoner when I had done nothing wrong! How the good people of this town haven't unseated you yet is entirely beyond me! Now, seeing as I would be well within my rights to demand the lives of the guards that attacked me, I recommend you let me go with my companions to the house you promised us. Do this, and I _won't_ make your life especially miserable," Gwyn called out loudly. Behind her, she could hear several townspeople snickering at the Master, and most of the dwarves smirked at his impotent rage, clearly enjoying the Man's struggle between his desire to have Gwyn killed for her impudence and his desire for the gold of Erebor. In the end, the thought of the gold won out, and he smiled superciliously at her.

"Very well, my dear. I apologize for any mistreatment at the hands of my guards. Alfrid, show our esteemed guests to their new quarters," the Master said before sweeping back into his home above Town Hall.

Grumbling the entire way, the greasy little Man showed the dwarves to a relatively grand house, telling them that the house was theirs to use, and that maids would be by later with food and bedding. Thorin coldly thanked Alfrid, and Gwyn was pleased to see the Man cower before the King's cold rage. Once Alfrid had scurried back to his Master, though, Thorin grabbed Gwyn away from Fili and hugged her tightly. Gwyn, as well as several of the dwarves, were quite surprised at the King's sudden display of affection, but it made her happy to know that he had worried about her. When Thorin released her, Gwyn was passed around to the other dwarves, who clucked over her like fussing hens.

Their inspection of her complete, Gwyn turned to face Bard, who was eyeing the group cautiously. However, when she caught the bargeman's eye, he smiled at her. Seeing their father relax, Sigrid and Tilda rushed over to Gwyn, excitedly babbling about her performance in the town square with the Master. Gwyn smiled at their enthusiasm. Before the girls could get too carried away though, Thorin and Bard could be heard arguing loudly about the dwarves' purpose in Lake-Town. Giving her apologies to Sigrid and Tilda, Gwyn quietly made her way over to the two men.

Crossing her arms across her chest, Gwyn stood next to the arguing men, glaring at the both of them with a raised eyebrow until they noticed her. After several moments of waiting, Gwyn rolled her eyes and cleared her throat, finally getting the attentions of Bard and Thorin.

"Master Bard, we are grateful for the kindness you have shown us and the help you have granted us. That being said, I don't think it would be wise to try and turn us from our purpose, especially not when we are so close to achieving our goals. We do not ask for you to condone our quest, only that you do not hinder it. Is that an unreasonable request?" Gwyn asked. Several of the nearby dwarves, including Balin, breathed a sigh of relief that Gwyn had enough sense to try and stop the arguing.

Grudgingly, Bard replied, "No, it is not unreasonable. I still think it is folly, though. You will bring the dragon's wrath upon us all!"

"Perhaps, but it will also give you a chance to redeem your family, Bard, descendent of Lord Girion. The stories are true that there is a scale that was loosened by the Black Arrows your ancestor fired, and you are a superior archer. You _will_ succeed where Lord Girion failed," Gwyn said with a quiet intensity. Before anyone could question her words though, she spoke again. "Shouldn't we return to Bard's house to fetch Oin, Kili, and Bilbo, in addition to the few belongings we managed to hang on to?" Everyone nodded, and they set out for Bard's.

While they were walking, Fili noticed her staggering a bit. He quickly wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Are you alright, mizimel?" he asked quietly.

Leaning into his embrace, Gwyn responded quietly, "I will be, but right now I am tired, hungry, and I have a headache that I would not wish on my worst enemies."

"We'll ask Oin if he has anything to help your headache, mizimel. From the look of that gash, they hit you quite hard," Fili quietly seethed. H _ow dare they hurt his One!_ he thought fiercely.

"Don't worry, my love. After my little 'display' in the town square, they'll not be coming anywhere near me. Not unless they want to incur your uncle's wrath," she said before kissing his cheek. They had arrived, finally, at Bard's house.

As soon as they were through the door, Gwyn was being herded over to Oin, so that he could tend to the gash the guards had given her. Gwyn was forcefully reminded of the Carrock, when Oin and the others had practically held her in place so that the apothecary could tend to a wound received courtesy of a goblin. She chuckled quietly at the similarities. Nearby, she saw Fili and Kili watching her and she gave them both a smile, even though she winced when Oin rubbed the same stinging liquid against her cut as before. Luckily, there were also some loose herbs to be brewed into a tea to fight headaches, which was promised to her once everyone was settled in their new accommodations.

Once Oin had finished tending to her, he let her go to sit with her dwarves. Kili looked even better than he had the night before, which pleased Gwyn greatly. The two brothers were seated side by side on Kili's cot. When she reached them, they parted enough to allow room for Gwyn to be tugged down between them. Each brother wrapped an arm tightly around Gwyn, protecting her from any who would wish her further harm. She grinned at their possessiveness, but gave each of her loves a chaste kiss.

"How is your leg, Kili? You look much better than you did when we first arrived here," she asked.

"It aches a bit, which is to be expected, but Oin says it is healing remarkably well. It's probably the elvish medicine you used, pundurith. Oin even says there is no sign of infection, thankfully. He said I should be able to walk on it without any help within a week or so," the dark-haired prince answered.

"Thank goodness! You have no idea how worried I was for you, my love. I'm very glad that you will be fine," Gwyn said.

"I do know how worried you were for me, for that is how I felt when I heard that you had disappeared. I am glad that you are safe now, though I wish I could give those that took you a taste of dwarvish iron right up their jacksies!" the three began laughing, remembering Ori's words back at Bag End, before the quest had even started. They calmed down though when Thorin said that it was time to leave for the house they had been loaned. As they filed out of Bard's house, each member of the Company thanked Bard and his children for their hospitality.

While they walked, more slowly than the rest of the Company because of Kili's leg, Fili told his brother what had transpired in the town square, and Gwyn told both brothers about her time in the town jail. They laughed at the tongue-lashing she gave Alfrid, and at the one she gave the Master.

Eventually, they reached the dwarves' house. Entering, the three saw Bombur making use of the kitchen preparing dinner, while the rest of the Company was occupied determining the sleeping arrangements. There were several rooms in the large house, but not enough for each member of the Company to have their own. They would all have to share

"Bofur, you'll bunk with Bombur and Bifur. Dwalin, you and Balin are together, Oin and Gloin share a room. Dori, Nori, and Ori, you three will stay together, and as for you three," Thorin turned to the newly arrived trio, "you'll have to share a room. Be warned though, if I hear of anything _untoward_ happening, you will not like the consequences. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Fili, Kili, and Gwyn replied, but no one noticed the glint in Gwyn's eyes.

"As for me, I'll share a room with our burglar, assuming he does not mind," Thorin finished. Turning to the hobbit, who looked much better as well, he raised a questioning eyebrow. Bilbo sneezed a couple of times, before muttering that he didn't mind. Gwyn pitied the hobbit, he might look better, but he still sounded dreadful. Gwyn's eyebrows, and those of several of the Company, rose at the thought that King and the burglar would be sharing a room. The Company then dispersed to claim the respective rooms they had all been directed to.

When Fili, Kili, and Gwyn entered the room they had been assigned Gwyn was pleased to note that there was a large bed taking up a significant amount of space. There was a carved wardrobe in the corner, which upon further investigation, held several new outfits for each of the room's occupants. A fire was already crackling in the hearth, and there was steam rising from a small wash basin in the corner. Fili and Gwyn's first order of business was to help Kili to the bed. The injured dwarf groaned at the sensation of sinking down into the comfortable mattress. While Fili was helping his brother get situated on the bed, Gwyn went over to the wash basin, where she set about cleaning her face and neck of the blood that had trickled from the cut on her temple. That taken care of, she joined her dwarves in the bed, sighing when she felt how comfortable it was.

The two dwarves and their girl were sitting together quietly on the bed when there was a knock at the door. Before any of them could answer, Oin came bustling in carrying a small tray with a mug of something steaming, as well as bandages and a few jars of elvish medicine.

"Here's the tea for your headache, Lassie. It's got mint and a few other things in it, should put you to rights quickly. And you, Kili, I need to have a look at your leg. How's it feeling?"

"It aches a bit when I move, but right now it's fine," the younger dwarf answered. Miraculously, Oin heard him clearly, even without his trumpet, which led Gwyn to start believing his hearing loss was an act. She took the proffered tea, and inhaled the steam. Gwyn could easily identify the mint, as well as cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass, chamomile, and a few others. It smelled very much like a tea she had frequently drunk at home when she was stressed. She could even detect a bit of honey sweetening the brew. Taking a sip, she felt immediate relief and she smiled. Fili noticed her contentment, and pulled her closer. Gwyn watched as Oin tended to Kili's leg, glad that the apothecary dwarf knew what he was doing. Indeed, even though the wound had been inflicted only a few days prior, it already looked nearly healed. Gwyn sent up a silent prayer of thanks for Lord Elrond's help.

"There's a washroom at the end of the hall, if you three want to get cleaned up before supper. Kili, if you bathe, you'll need your brother's help keeping your dressings dry," Oin said, finishing up with Kili's leg. The old dwarf took his leave of the three, closing the door behind him.

"What do you think, Fee? Should we let our rose have the first bath?"

"I think it would be rude if we didn't! What would Uncle Thorin say if we went down to dinner all fresh scrubbed while our girl was still grimy? Indeed, I daresay he'd yell loudly enough to frighten Smaug!"

"Laugh all you want you two, but if you're serious, then I will avail myself of a hot bath," and scrambling over to the wardrobe and grabbing a clean dress and necessary accouterments, Gwyn hurried to the aforementioned bath. She and her dwarves were the only members of the Company housed on that floor, so she was glad that they did not have to share a washroom with anyone else. Gwyn unwound her courtship braids, setting the beads in a hidden pocket of the dress that she had grabbed from the wardrobe. Sighing, she lowered herself into the warm water and began washing away sweat, blood, river water, mud, and who knew what else. When she felt sufficiently clean, she stepped from the tub and wrapped herself in a soft, fluffy towel. Drying off, she began squeezing the water from her hair, which reached well past her backside at that point, before redressing in the clean clothes.

* * *

Returning to her room, Gwyn was surprised to note that her princes had also bathed, but they had not yet finished dressing in the clean clothes. They were both naked from the waist up, leaving Gwyn to admire their strong backs and shoulders. Fili's shoulders were broader than his brother's but they were both very well built indeed. Luckily for Gwyn, they both had their backs to her, which allowed her to stare as much as she wanted. Letting her gaze trail downwards, she noticed with a thrill that both brothers had _fantastic_ butts. After a few more minutes of unabashed ogling on Gwyn's part, she made her presence known.

"Turnabout's fair play boys. You've both gotten several looks at me, this is the first time I've seen either of you, and I have to say, I quite like what I see!" she declared. She laughed when the brother's startled, and closed the door behind her at the predatory looks in their eyes. Smirking, she added a bit of extra hip action to her walk when she placed Sigrid's borrowed clothes in a hamper to be washed. Turning around, she saw Fili standing behind her, Kili leaning against the bed. Walking over to her dark-haired prince, she allowed one of her hands to trail across Fili's chest, thrilling at the heat of him. Leaning against Kili, she kissed him deeply, pouring out her worry for him into the kiss. He kissed her back just as hungrily, his tongue winding around hers. Breaking the kiss with Kili, she tugged Fili closer and kissed him as deeply as she had kissed Kili. She was startled by the lack of Fili's mustache braids, and she found herself missing them. Breaking away, Gwyn struggled to catch her breath, seeing the darkness in her dwarves' eyes, which she was sure was mirrored in her own.

Once she had calmed a bit, she allowed herself to admire the well-defined physiques of her princes. Walking over to a small vanity she saw in the corner, she allowed an extra sway of her hips to creep into her walk. She could feel her dwarves' gazes following her as she sat down in front of the mirror, before beginning to comb out her hair, which was tangled from Kili's fingers. Catching the brothers' eyes in the mirror, she smirked at them, quite pleased with how riled up she had gotten them. Before she could do much more than smirk though, both brothers prowled towards her. Gwyn's breath caught in her throat at the predatory smiles on their faces.

"It isn't nice to tease, mizimel," Fili whispered hotly in her ear. Gwyn's eyes fluttered closed when he nipped at her earlobe lightly, before taking the comb from her hands.

"It's only teasing if I don't intend to follow through," she purred.

"What about Uncle, pundurith? He warned us against doing anything 'untoward'," Kili whispered.

"He said if he _heard_ anything untoward we would be in trouble,"

"I like the way you think, pundurith!"

"Tonight, after everyone has gone to bed, we'll see how quiet you can be, my loves," she teased.

Kili had dragged a chair over to be near the other two, and there was a heat in his eyes that made Gwyn flush. Kili's eyes followed the pinkness as it disappeared below the neckline of her dress, which was much lower than anything else he had seen her wear. While Fili worked to put his braid back into Gwyn's hair, Kili began peppering her neck with small, nipping kisses that had Gwyn biting back moans. When Fili was finished with her hair, the brothers exchanged challenging looks with each other before changing places.

"What about you, mizimel? Won't you have to be quiet as well?" Fili said between light, tickling kisses against the other side of her neck.

"Oh, I'm sure I can manage to be quiet. After all, I've had plenty of practice on this journey," Gwyn smirked. The brothers exchanged startled glances before the full meaning behind Gwyn's words hit them. But when it did, it was like a hammer to the gut and their eyes darkened. Gwyn laughed lightly at their expressions.

"Now, both of you should finish getting dressed, before they send a search party up to look for us. When you're done, you can help me replace my braids in your hair," Gwyn said, standing and moving away from the brothers. They both huffed at her teasing, before moving quickly to dress. While Kili was occupied finding a tunic, Fili was busy re-braiding his mustache and his hair, except for Gwyn's courtship braid. When both dwarves were dressed again, she had each brother help her plait her courtship braid into the other brother's hair. Just as they were about to leave, Kili leaning heavily on Fili, there was a knock on the door. When they opened it, Ori was there. He announced that dinner was ready, and he helped Fili get Kili down the stairs safely. Gwyn followed behind, making sure they did not fall. When they rejoined the others in the large dining room, Gwyn saw that Thorin was watching them carefully, and she was very glad that she had taken the time while her dwarves were dressing to calm herself, although she was sure her lips were still a deep red and her cheeks a rosy pink. Having gotten his brother settled, Fili was quick to pull out Gwyn's chair for her, before taking his customary place on her other side. She smiled gratefully at him.

Soon, everyone was enjoying the hearty meal Bombur had managed to put together, and they were all in high spirits. Even Bilbo looked to be enjoying himself, between sneezes and coughing fits, that is. As they finished eating, Bilbo passed small packages out to each member of the Company.

"In the Shire, when a hobbit celebrates a birthday, the one celebrating the birthday gives gifts to his friends and family. Gwyn reminded me that yesterday was my birthday, so I apologize that I am a day late in my gift giving. Go on, open them!" Bilbo said, before dissolving into another coughing fit. Each person opened the packages to reveal gifts that were unique to each of them. For Bofur, a new pouch of pipeweed, Ori got a new bottle of ink, Dori got some tea, Bombur received a small book of recipes, Oin was given a new ear trumpet, Gloin was gifted with another locket for portraits of his wife and son, Balin was given a book of history, Dwalin received a new whetstone for his axes and knives, Bifur was given some flowers which he promptly started munching on, Nori was given a new pipe, and Thorin and his nephews were each given simple silver rings, each with a different stone. Kili's had onyx, Fili's had topaz, and Thorin's had sapphire. Gwyn's gift was a hair clasp in the shape of a rose for the end of her braid. Each of the Company exclaimed over the extravagance of their gifts.

"How did you get these items? You didn't leave Bard's at all!" Kili exclaimed.

"I wrote up a list last night. I woke up coughing and I thought to write down what kinds of gifts you all might like. Then I gave the list and the last of my coin to Sigrid, and she bought everything. I hope you like them," Bilbo said hoarsely.

"Thank you for your generosity Bilbo, these are all so thoughtful," Gwyn said, smiling. The others all agreed with her, thanking Bilbo for their gifts.

Somehow the dwarves had managed to get a hold of some musical instruments, which several of them took up. They played them well, jolly tunes that set toes tapping. Fili bowed before Gwyn, offering her his hand.

"My lady, I believe you were promised a dance once your ankle had healed. It is healed now, so would you do me the honor?" Fili said.

Laughing, Gwyn stood, taking the offered hand with a graceful curtsy. "It would be my pleasure, my lord." Several of the dwarves began singing as Fili led Gwyn around the improvised dance floor. Even Thorin had cracked a proper smile, rather than the slight upturn of his lips that he usually wore. After Fili and Gwyn had danced through several songs, she begged for a rest. As she sat, laughing and trying to catch her breath, she saw Dwalin hand Kili a fiddle the larger dwarf had procured. Tucking the instrument gently under his chin, Kili began to quietly test the tuning. Satisfied, he began a soft song. The other dwarves quieted down, leaving Kili's fiddle the only instrument playing. Gwyn was vaguely aware of Fili sitting next to her. The song lasted for several minutes, sometimes slow and melancholy, other times trilling happily, but always with a strong undercurrent of something intangible. When the last notes faded, Kili looked over at Gwyn, surprised to see tears sparkling in her eyes.

"Pundurith, what's wrong? What have I done to make you weep?" Kili asked, concern heavy in his voice.

"You've done nothing wrong, my love. You played beautifully. That's why there are tears in my eyes, the beauty of the song touched me. I had no idea you could play the violin,"

"Aye, we both do, mizimel. We wrote that song for you. It's meant to be a duet, but we only had the one fiddle, so I danced with you and Kili played for you. We'll play it properly for you someday. Did you like it?" Fili asked quietly.

"I loved it. The violin is my most favorite instrument. To hear it played so well, it makes me happy," Gwyn said, wiping away the few rogue tears that had slipped down her cheeks. Smiling, she gave Kili a chaste kiss, knowing that his uncle was still watching. Not wanting to seem neglectful, Gwyn also bestowed a kiss upon Fili, as thanks for the dances he led her through.

Loudly, Fili and Kili both called out to the other dwarves present. "Gwyn has accepted our second gift! She gave us the gift of time when she healed Kili, we have given her the gift of music. Both are needed for happy unions!" A great cheer went up from the others, and soon they were being congratulated at having reached the next step in their courtship. Eventually though, the impromptu party began to wind down, the dwarves peeling off from the Company to go to sleep in their comfortable beds. Before he went to bed himself, Thorin was the last to congratulate them, before saying something in Khuzdul to Fili and Kili. Clapping them both on the shoulders, he turned and headed to the room he was sharing with Bilbo, the hobbit having retired shortly after dinner.

Fili banked the fire in the common room, and the trio slowly made their way back to their room. They were all very tired, none of them having slept well the night before, but once they reached their room, Fili and Kili seemed to get a second wind. They herded Gwyn over to the bed, before gently setting her atop it. Each brother knelt before her, Kili a bit more gingerly because of his injury, and they gently unlaced her boots, before pulling them off. Climbing onto the bed behind her, Kili began deftly unlacing her dress, and Fili lifted it over her head, leaving Gwyn clad in a linen shift. Before they could undress her further, Gwyn stopped them with a hand on each of their chests.

"So, what did your uncle say to you?"

The brothers exchanged shifty-eyed glances with each other, which prompted Gwyn to raise an eyebrow. "Well, we're not going any further…unless you tell me what he said." To emphasize her point, Gwyn began scooting away from the brothers, to crawl under the blankets. Before she could though, Fili and Kili each grabbed one of her ankles and tugged lightly, pulling her back to them. She laughed, before urging them to tell her what Thorin had said to them. They still refused though, and so Gwyn decided to play dirty. Looking up at them through her lashes, brown eyes large and pleading, lower lip protruding ever so slightly, she pouted.

"Won't you please tell me? I don't like that you would keep secrets from your rose." She could see their resolve crumbling, and finally they gave in.

"He told us to make him proud tonight," Kili mumbled.

"What does he mean, 'make him proud'?"

"In case you did not know, there are only two official courtship gifts given in dwarven courtships. They are meant to represent the start of the courtship, and when the couple is ready to marry. When we announced that you had accepted the second gift, we essentially announced that soon we would plait marriage braids into your hair. Uncle gave us his blessing to, um, make good on your promises about 'following through'. The whole bit about 'making him proud' was his reminder to us to not be…selfish," Kili said nervously. Gwyn nodded a bit, face unreadable.

"So I suppose we wouldn't have to be as quiet as we would have to be, without having declared the acceptance of the second gift. Right?" Gwyn asked with a sudden smirk. Before she could finish her thought though, she was practically tackled by Fili, who kissed her deeply. She felt the bed dip as Kili joined the other two near the head of the bed. Breaking away from the kiss, Fili was quick to divest himself of his boots and tunic. Kili also removed his tunic, having already taken his boots off. Moving quicker than the brothers anticipated, Gwyn flipped positions with Fili, so that she was straddling him. Slipping a hand around the back of Kili's neck, she drew the dark-haired brother into a deep, hungry kiss.

Watching his brother kiss their rose, Fili slid his hands from their position grasping Gwyn's hips up her body to gently cup her breasts through the linen of her shift. As he began kneading her flesh, Gwyn broke away from Kili to gasp brokenly. Seeing Fili's smirk, she raked her short fingernails down his chest, eliciting a deep groan that sent a thrill through her. Kili, meanwhile, had busied himself plucking at the laces of Gwyn's shift. Gwyn felt the fabric loosen and shrugged her shoulders, the shift sliding off. Fili's hands on her breasts were the only things keeping the shift from pooling around her waist. Realizing this, Fili quickly tugged the fabric away, baring Gwyn to their scrutiny. Just as she was about to get self-conscious, Fili lunged up and claimed her mouth in a bruising kiss, while Kili attacked her neck and shoulders. She could feel the heat pouring off both of them and Gwyn could feel a heat of her own pooling low in her belly.

Gwyn pulled away from the two brothers, stepping off the bed. They watched her with dark, hungry eyes. Once she was standing away from the bed, she let the rest of the shift drop, completely baring herself to them. Gwyn could not remember the last time she had been so nervous. She closed her eyes, and fought the urge to cover herself. However, she felt Fili come to stand in front of her. Opening her eyes slowly, she let him lead her back to the bed.

He gently tossed her up among the pillows, both brothers smiling at her soft laughs. Kili, feeling neglected, rolled atop her and whispered in her ear, "You are beautiful, âzyungâl, never doubt that for a minute!" He began placing soft, teasing kisses along Gwyn's neck and shoulders, before slowly making his way down her body. He paused at her breasts, simply hefting the flesh in his hands, before one clever hand began rolling one of her nipples, while his mouth descended on the other. Gwyn gasped, back arching into the contact. Gwyn heard the brothers chuckle at her responses. After several long moments, Kili's mouth switched breasts, and he placed biting kisses all around it, before drawing her nipple into his mouth.

While his brother was occupied with her breasts, Fili moved between her legs. Pulling back slightly, Fili admired her womanhood. The flesh was a rosy pink, and Fili could just see hints of moisture hidden in the folds. Gwyn became nervous once more, and Kili swooped in to distract her, his kisses languid, as he stretched his body out next to hers. Noticing her attentions diverted elsewhere, Fili gently moved closer before swiping his tongue through Gwyn's folds. Gwyn broke away from her kiss with Kili to gasp at the sensation. Smirking up at her from his position between her legs, Fili once more moved to lap at the moisture gathering at her womanhood. He hummed at the taste, and the vibrations sent jolts of pleasure surging through Gwyn and she moaned quietly. Her back arched as Fili busied himself licking, nipping, and sucking at her folds, before drawing the little bundle of nerves at the top of her womanhood into his mouth. Kili had occupied himself with Gwyn's breasts, clearly enjoying them, and Gwyn was left to writhe under the onslaught of sensation. It wasn't long before she was gasping and moaning in equal measure as the pleasure in her belly coiled tighter and tighter. With one last reedy whine, the coil sprung loose, pleasure flooding through Gwyn's body. Her back arched as she convulsed around Fili's tongue.

When she came down from her high, she saw Fili and Kili smirking at her.

"What was that earlier, âzyungâl, about your ability to stay quiet?" Fili teased.

"Shut up, you," she grumped, panting.

"Oh âzyungâl, surely you know we only jest. Truthfully seeing you, _hearing_ you fall apart like that was most, shall we say, provocative," Kili said. Both brothers grabbed her hands and brought them to the tents in the brothers' trousers. The hardness that she felt there sent another wave of arousal coursing through her.

"How is it, I am as bare as the day I was born, and yet you two keep yourselves covered?" Gwyn asked with a quirk of a brow.

"We did not wish to be selfish, âzyungâl," Fili said.

"Well, right now you are being selfish by remaining dressed," Gwyn pouted.

Getting her meaning, the brothers quickly divested themselves of their trousers, leaving them as naked as Gwyn. Both brothers felt a jolt at the heat in Gwyn's eyes as she scrutinized them, and their cocks jumped in response. Gwyn smirked before drawing the brothers to her. She slowly made her way down Fili's body, pausing every so often to nip at his skin. Whenever Gwyn found a particularly sensitive spot, a soft groan would escape Fili's lips.

When she reached her destination, Gwyn was level with his cock, which she paused to admire. It was thick, like the rest of him, but not more than average length. Smirking up at the brothers, she began placing wet kisses around his crown. She began alternating with soft licks up and down the length of him, occasionally wrapping her dexterous tongue around him. Fili's eyes were closed in pleasure, but they shot open when Gwyn finally took him into her mouth. Meeting his eyes, Gwyn saw that the beautiful blue was only a thin ring around black, so lust-filled was his gaze. The thought that she was the one to cause that lust send a sharp spike of it through her, and Gwyn could feel herself dampening again. Gwyn continued to bob her head along the length of Fili's prick, applying light suction. One of his hands had come to tangle in her long hair, which hung around her like a curtain. Groans and moans emanated from deep within Fili's chest, and Gwyn chuckled at the sounds. Fili gasped at the vibrations from Gwyn's laughter, and she renewed her efforts. One last look up at him told Gwyn that he was close. She began taking him deeper down her throat, breathing through her nose to quell her gag reflex. When she swallowed around his cock though, he broke, coming with a hoarse shout. She swallowed his release down before gently pulling away from him.

Fili was panting heavily, golden skin shining with a sheen of sweat as Gwyn crawled up to join her princes. Gwyn chuckled at the expressions on their faces, Kili's one of lust, and Fili's one of exhaustion.

"Don't worry, my love, I've not forgotten about you," she said to Kili, moving to straddle him. Before she could though, he flipped them so that he was above her.

"I'd certainly hope not, pundurith," he growled, placing himself at her entrance. Leaning down he kissed her hungrily, tasting his brother on her tongue. Distracting her, he finally plunged into her, drawing a broken moan from her and a rumbling groan from him at her tightness and heat. Kili waited several long moments, regaining control of himself. When Gwyn began squirming beneath him, Kili pulled out, before slamming back in. Kili began to set a slow, tortuous pace, intent on driving her mad. Her hands scrabbled for purchase in his hair, on his back. He moaned at each scratch of her nails, pumping himself deeper inside of her.

Gwyn moved one of her legs to wrap around Kili's before she flipped them, like she had that day in Rivendell, managing to keep him inside of her. Kili looked up at her in surprise, until his eyes slammed shut when she began rolling her hips. She undulated above him, her hands running through her own hair. Both brothers watched her raptly, enjoying her seduction of them. Kili's hands rose to play with her breasts, which had Gwyn leaning back towards Kili's feet. She had bent almost completely backwards, head touching the bed between her dark-haired prince's legs. He gasped at the sensation of her walls fluttering around him, and he sat up drawing Gwyn back up to face him. Reaching between them, Kili began rolling her clit between his fingers. Kili quickly captured her lips, muffling her cry of pleasure. The fluttering of her walls around his cock was growing stronger, indicating that Gwyn was close to her peak. Kili redoubled his efforts, desperate to make her come before he succumbed to his own pleasure. Gwyn clenched tightly around him, pleasure coursing through her, drawing a broken cry from her mouth. Mission accomplished, Kili pumped into her furiously until he too reached his peak. Hips stuttering against her, Kili came, lips pressed against her neck.

The three lovers flopped back against the pillows, Kili and Gwyn breathing hard. Fili swept Gwyn's damp hair away from her neck.

"See, I'm not a tease if I follow through," Gwyn said breathlessly, snuggling into her place between her princes.

"So that's what you call following through. I guess I should have expected such a performance from a minx like you. How many times tonight, brother, did our rose have you aching in your trousers? For me it was no less than half a dozen times!" Fili teased. Gwyn stuck her tongue out at him, before letting herself be drawn into a lazy kiss. She felt Kili pressing light kisses between her shoulder blades, and she rolled them at the ticklish sensation.

"Well my loves, I am quite certain your uncle would be very proud of your performances tonight!" Gwyn said.

"I'm sure he would be. I'm also quite sure we'll hear about it tomorrow at breakfast. We weren't exactly quiet, especially you pundurith," Kili whispered. Gwyn groaned and buried her head against Fili's shoulder.

"I don't suppose there's any use hoping they just happened to have not heard us, is there?" Gwyn asked, voice muffled.

"I'm sorry âzyungâl, I'm fairly certain even Oin will have heard you, _without his ear trumpet_ ," Fili said.

Gwyn paused for a moment, "I shudder to think that that wasn't even as loud as I have been known to get. Hopefully the walls of Erebor do a better job of keeping our noise away from unwanted ears, because I would very much like to see how loudly you two can make me scream. I have no doubt in my mind that you'll both rise to the occasion admirably," she teased, laughing lightly at their expressions when they realized she had said she could be louder. Both brothers groaned simultaneously.

"Mahal, woman, are you trying to kill us?" Kili asked.

"Of course not, I just thought I'd issue the challenge now, to prepare you for later. By the way, how is your leg, my love? I hope we didn't aggravate it."

"It's fine. A bit of a twinge now, but I'll be fine."

"Good," Gwyn stifled a yawn and her princes chuckled at her. "It has been a very long couple of days, so I recommend we get some sleep. Good night my loves." Each brother wished their rose good night, and soon the three lovers were sound asleep in the most comfortable bed they'd had for quite some time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tea that Gwyn drinks for her headache is based on Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer Tea.


	12. Chapter 11

When Gwyn woke up the next morning, it was to bright sunlight shining into the room and the fiddly, not-quite-ticklish sensation of two someones playing with her hair. When she shifted to stretch though, one of the two people whose fingers were entwined with strands of her hair gently stopped her.

"Just a few more moments, mizimel, we're almost done," Fili whispered in her ear. It took Gwyn's sleepy mind a few moments, but she realized that Fili was on the wrong side of her. He always stood by her left and Kili stood by her right, however Fili had just whispered into her right ear. Brows furrowing in confusion, Gwyn almost missed the quiet _click_ of beads being clasped around braids.

When she felt the two bodies on either side of her move away ever so slightly, she took that as a sign that she was free to move. She stretched languorously, like a cat laying in a sunbeam, and turned to face her princes. She gave them each a satisfied smile, before her brow arched in question at the anxious look on Kili's face and the slight furrow between Fili's brows.

"What were you two doing with my hair just now? And why do you both look like you're waiting for something?" she asked.

"Perhaps you should check a mirror first, then we shall explain," Fili said, handing her the linen shift she had worn the night before. That was when she realized that she was still quite naked, and her two dwarves were very much not.

"What time is it?" Gwyn's question was slightly muffled as she pulled the shift over her head, but the brothers heard her well enough.

"It is late morning. We've been awake for several hours, but things have been so mad for the past few weeks, with the whipping you were subjected to in the Woodland Realm, the barrel ride and subsequent fight with the orcs, saving my life, getting kidnapped by the Master, that we decided you have earned yourself a 'bit of a lie in,' as Bilbo put it. The others all agreed with us that you deserved some rest. Now, go look in the mirror!" Kili said hurriedly.

As Gwyn stood to begin making her way over to the vanity table in the corner of the room she felt Kili's clever fingers deftly retying the laces of her shift. Throwing a grateful smile over her shoulder at him, she crossed the room to sit in front of the mirror. Looking at her reflection in the glass, she noticed two new intricate braids, about an inch above her courting braids. Gwyn saw that each of the new braids was decorated with the beads of her dwarves like her courting braids, but they were on the opposite sides of the courting braids. Fili's bead adorned the lower braid above her left ear and the upper right braid, while Kili's was the reverse.

Catching Fili's eye in the mirror, Gwyn cocked an eyebrow. "What do these new braids mean?"

"They are marriage braids, mizimel. We woke early and spoke with our uncle. After the Master's kidnapping of you, he agreed with us that those braids would grant you a level of protection that simple courting braids would not. We will have a proper wedding ceremony once Erebor is reclaimed, but for now, we would feel much better about your safety if you wore these new braids," Fili explained.

Gwyn was silent for several long moments, mulling over Fili's words, while Kili grew increasingly anxious next to her.

"Please do not take the braids out, pundurith! We think the Master may still bear you ill will after your humiliation of him yesterday, but with those braids he would not dare do anything to harm you," Kili begged.

Gwyn turned on the small stool to face her dwarves. "Will you two be wearing matching braids?"

"If our rose wishes it, we shall, although Uncle might have something to say about that, since we won't be officially married until we hold a proper ceremony," Kili answered, beginning to look relieved.

"I would be more comfortable wearing these new braids, if you two also wore them, because that would send an even clearer message to the Master that we are not to be trifled with. As for the ceremony bit, I might have an idea about that. Give me time to figure out the little details first, and to discuss my idea with your uncle, then I shall tell you my plan," Gwyn said thoughtfully. When she finished speaking, both brothers relaxed, knowing that Gwyn was not rejecting their desires to protect her.

Before Gwyn could ask them to show her how to put matching braids in the dwarves' hair, her stomach growled, loudly. The brothers began laughing heartily at Gwyn's embarrassed flush. Flouncing over to the wardrobe, Gwyn withdrew a gown of deep blue, which she slipped on over her linen shift. As she was struggling to lace the back up, she felt Fili's mustache braids tickling her neck as he kissed her sensitive skin.

"We are sorry for laughing, mizimel. We are just surprised that someone so small could have such a loud belly!" While he was apologizing, he finished lacing her into the blue gown. Seeing her corset hanging in the wardrobe, she put that on over the dress.

"I would be happy to help you with those laces, pundurith," Kili flirted. The corset laced in the front, which would have given him access to Gwyn's mouth, should he follow his brother's example in placating their girl. From the look in his eyes, Gwyn knew that he most likely would do exactly that. Gwyn smirked at him.

"I'm sure you would be, Kili, but if I were to let you help me with my corset, we would never leave this room, and I am quite hungry!" While Gwyn teased the brothers, her fingers nimbly laced up the corset, and if she tightened it a bit more than usual, emphasizing her breasts, that was her business. As she tied the laces off she laughed at the dumbstruck expression on Fili's and Kili's faces as they stared at her cleavage.

As Gwyn walked to the door, she called over her shoulder, "Will you be joining me, or do I have to face the others alone?" She then heard Fili practically hauling Kili in his rush to escort Gwyn to the dining area. While the trio made their way down the stairs, Gwyn turned to Kili, a vaguely worried look in her eyes.

"How is your leg today, my love? Last night did not aggravate it, did it?"

"My leg is much better, you needn't worry. It barely hurts today, and Oin said that it should be completely well within a few more days." Hearing this news, Gwyn smiled brightly at her dark haired prince, leaning over and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. Fili smiled at the display, before he demanded a kiss from Gwyn as well, which she happily granted. Before they could go further though, the smells of lunch from the kitchen began wafting up the stairs, triggering Gwyn's stomach to grumble again. The brothers began laughing once more, and each brother wrapped an arm around Gwyn's waist, stopping her from flouncing off. They could not stop her from pouting at their teasing though.

As they rounded the final corner into the dining area of the house, Gwyn's nose was met with the delicious smells of Bombur's cooking. She smiled brightly at all the dwarves gathered for lunch, and was surprised when each of them, except Thorin, began bowing low to her. Bofur quickly jumped up from his seat at the table and offered it to Gwyn.

"Please, milady, take my seat," he urged earnestly. Gwyn was quite confused by everyone's behavior, and made that fact known, quickly.

"What are you all on about? I can easily find my own seat Bofur, you needn't give yours up for me," she said. Before she could protest much more though, her princes steered her towards an empty chair and sat her down.

"Would milady like a cup of tea?" Dori asked.

"Thank you Dori, but I can get it myself just fine."

"Oh, 'tis no trouble milady. I'll fetch it for you," the fussy dwarf answered before bustling over to a teapot and filling a delicate cup with the dark brew.

"Here you are milady. Will you be needing any milk or sugar?"

"Oh, yes, but I can get it…myself." Gwyn's voice dwindled off at the end of her assurance when a small creamer and sugar bowl appeared in front of her, courtesy of Ori.

"Here you go, milady," the shy dwarf said quietly.

"Thank you, Ori. Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Gwyn demanded. Behind her she could hear Fili and Kili snickering at her discomfort, but before she could round on them, Balin stepped in.

"It's your new braids, my lady. They are marriage braids, and since both Fili and Kili are princes, you are now a princess," the grandfatherly dwarf explained. It took Gwyn several moments to process Balin's statement. When she had finally made sense of everything, her breath left her with a whoosh. _A PRINCESS?!_ she thought. The room spun a bit sickeningly for a moment as that realization hit Gwyn like a sledgehammer. She coped by taking a deep breath and sipping at her tea. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, waiting for her reaction. Emerging from her thoughts, Gwyn smiled a bit wanly at the dwarves surrounding her.

"Where I come from, little girls dream of being whisked away by a handsome prince to live happily ever after as a princess. I am aware that without a proper marriage ceremony I am not yet a princess, and we still have a dragon to face before we get our happily ever after, so I would appreciate it if you would treat me as you always have, in private at least. In front of the townsfolk, and the Master especially, feel free to treat me like a princess. But, I refuse to be a damsel in distress!" Gwyn's last statement earned her a chuckle from the assembled dwarves, and a general consensus of "as milady commands." Just as the dwarves were standing up from their bows to Gwyn, Bilbo appeared, looking much healthier (even if his nose was still a bit red). The hobbit looked around in confusion at the dwarves bowing to Gwyn and decided that he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what had happened.

* * *

After lunch Gwyn found Thorin staring intently at his grandfather's map, trying to figure out the best plan of approach to the Mountain and the location of the hidden door.

"Excuse me, my lord, do you have a moment to speak with me?" Gwyn asked, before she huffed when Thorin smirked at her address of him, "If the others insist on treating me with such ridiculous formality, then I shall return the honor. But that is not what I wish to speak with you about."

"I see you agreed to wear my nephews' marriage braids," Thorin stated.

"Yes, but that is what I wish to speak to you about. I would feel more comfortable with their plan to emphasize my position if they also wore marriage braids," Gwyn said, before continuing quickly as Thorin began opening his mouth to voice his objections, "but they said that you might not agree. So I come to you with a proposal," Gwyn paused, waiting for Thorin to prompt her to continue. "Where I come from, in certain extenuating circumstances, like men going off to war, a man and his sweetheart may decide to have a small first wedding, sometimes attended only by very close friends and family, other times attended only by the couple being married and the person marrying them, so that the man has a wife to return to, and that his wife would be afforded the care she deserved as a military widow, should her husband fall in battle. Then, if the man survives, the couple sometimes elects to hold a second, larger wedding, with a much larger celebration. So this is what I propose: that Fili, Kili, and myself wed in this manner. I would like to have a small ceremony in accordance with my customs, as facing a dragon should be considered an 'extenuating circumstance', and once Erebor is reclaimed and the dwarves from the Blue Mountains began returning, we would have a second, grander, ceremony in accordance with dwarvish customs. I do not expect an answer right away, but I would ask that you consider what I have asked."

Thorin was quiet for a very long time, before he turned to Gwyn. "I will consider your plan and discuss it with Balin. I shall give you my answer by tomorrow evening. Do Fili and Kili know that you spoke to me about this?"

"Thank you my lord. I told them that I would speak to you about them wearing marriage braids, but I did not tell them that I wanted to suggest having what amounts to two weddings, just in case you refused. I did not wish to get their hopes up," Gwyn said calmly. Inside however, she was a bundle of nerves, wishing she had demanded an immediate answer from Thorin.

"That was probably wise. If you had told them and I refused, Fili would have been disappointed, but Kili would have been furious. We do not need distractions like that so close to our goal," the king said, before returning to ponder the riddles of the map. Gwyn knew that she had been dismissed, but before she could leave, Thorin made one last remark, "And you need not refer to me as your lord. You are to wed my nephews, in one manner or another, so you may call me 'Uncle'. Please tell Balin that I would speak with him" Gwyn smiled gently to herself as she left to find Balin. Once she had relayed Thorin's message to the old dwarf, Gwyn set off to find her princes.

* * *

"You wished to see me, Thorin?" Balin said, approaching the younger dwarf.

"Yes, I would have your advice on a delicate matter," Thorin said. "Gwyn has told me that while she will wear my nephews' marriage braids, she would be more comfortable if Fili and Kili wore her matching braids."

"You know as well as I do that they can only wear the braids if they are truly married. We are making a large exception just letting the lassie wear the braids."

"I know that, Balin. However, Gwyn said that sometimes young couples in her world sometimes hold one small wedding before the young man goes off to war, and a second, larger wedding after he returns. She has asked that I allow her to wed my sister-sons in accordance with her customs, with one ceremony for the Company now before we face the dragon, and a second Dwarvish wedding once Erebor is reclaimed and the dwarves from the Blue Mountains have joined us there. What say you?"

Balin was quiet for several long moments before a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "I say you should let the lass marry according to her customs. She has adapted well to our world, taking our customs for her own. This is the first time she has asked you for anything to remind her of home. If it would ease her mind, why should we not allow her to have this one thing?"

"That is what my heart told me as well, but I wanted to know that my heart was correct. Thank you my old friend, for easing my conscience," Thorin said. "I told her I would give her my answer by tomorrow evening. Should I tell her now, or should I tell her tomorrow?"

"I would tell her after supper tonight. If I know her as well as I think I do, she was probably quite nervous making her request of you, and she most likely will not rest well until you have given her your answer. Has she told your nephews of her plan?"

"No, she said that she did not wish to get their hopes up, in the event that I declined her request," the king responded.

"Ah, the lass was wise to do that, though it probably grieves her to keep secrets from her intendeds. She is an honest sort, and among friends she is very open, so to keep something so important to herself, it is probably waiting to burst from her mouth at an inopportune moment. So, the sooner you give her your answer, the happier everyone will be, and the sooner we can plan the wedding. What do you think that entails?" Balin asked.

"I do not know. Gwyn told me no details, only that the first wedding was usually small and simple, attended by the couple's closest friends and family, and the second wedding is much grander. I'm sure we will learn about her customs soon enough though. Now, where do you think the hidden door is?"

* * *

When Gwyn found Fili and Kili, they were lying on the trio's bed, napping. She smiled fondly that they had kept her place for her. She would have expected the brothers to twine around each other in her absence the way they twined around her in her presence. However, they two sleeping dwarves had studiously kept to their respective sides of the bed, leaving the middle open for Gwyn. Deciding that after the tiring events of the night before she deserved a bit of a rest herself, she crawled up the bed to join her princes in slumber. As she was lying down, Fili and Kili both drew closer to her, intent on wrapping around her as usual. Letting her eyes slip closed, Gwyn smiled faintly when she heard two sleepy murmurs of _men lananubukhs menu, âzyungâl_.

The trio had only slept for about an hour when they woke up.

"We saw you speaking with Uncle earlier. What were you talking about?" Kili asked.

"I asked him about letting me put marriage braids in your hair," Gwyn answered. She felt a twinge of guilt that she was keeping secrets from her loves, even if they were better not knowing. If Thorin answered in the affirmative to her proposal, then she would explain, if he answered negatively, Gwyn would not tell her princes of her idea.

"What did he say, mizimel?"

"He said he would think about it, and give me his answer by tomorrow evening," Gwyn answered.

"At least it wasn't an outright no," Kili said hopefully.

"That is true. So, did you tell your uncle that you made him proud last night?" Gwyn asked, smirking.

"We did not need to. The others were already complaining of your noise. Poor Ori couldn't look at either of us without flushing, just like when he won that purse of coins at Beorn's house," Fili said, returning Gwyn's smirk in kind.

"I noticed that there was a distinct lack of teasing a lunch. Did the others get it out of their systems at breakfast?"

"That's because you now wear our marriage braids, pundurith. They would not dare to tease a princess in such a manner." Gwyn raised an eyebrow at Kili's declaration.

"Oh really? Even though I am not even technically a princess yet? I will not be considered a princess until after our wedding my loves."

"But you wear our braids. That is close enough, and it will have to suffice until after the Mountain is won and our kin from the Blue Mountains arrive. Especially our mother, Dis," Fili explained. Gwyn felt a small spark of nervousness at the mention of her future mother-in-law.

"What is your mother like? I have heard precious little about her, and I'm afraid that my imaginings of her are incorrect."

"Our mother is of the Line of Durin, which means she is powerful. Indeed, I rather think that she is the only person who can make Uncle see sense at times, mostly because she is not afraid to hit him to make her point. She is wickedly smart, growing up she could trick Kili or myself into admitting guilt for some infraction or another simply by making a casual statement about the misdeed. Actually, you remind me very much of her, mizimel. You are both very strong, and completely unafraid of voicing your opinion, even if it is not necessarily popular. In all, I think she will like you quite a lot, especially when she hears how you stood up to Thorin to save Kili's life," Fili said.

"I certainly hope she likes me," Gwyn said.

"She will, pundurith, because we like you," Kili said cheekily.

"You only like me? I am wounded, my love, that I have given you my heart, and you see fit only to 'like me'! I had hoped that the man, or in this case dwarves, that I was to marry would love me at least as much as I love him!" Gwyn teased back.

"Men lananubukhs menu! Be still, mizimel, you have our hearts as certainly as the sun rises each morn in the east and sets each evening in the west!"

"Ah, my silver tongued prince! Such poetic words. What does 'men lananubukhs menu' mean? I heard you both say it earlier, but I do not speak Khuzdul," Gwyn asked.

"It means 'I love you'. So you see, mother will love you, because _we_ love you. I am sorry my foolish words hurt you, pundurith, it was not my intention," Kili said, answering for his brother.

"I was only teasing, my loves. I know that you love me, your actions speak plainly even when you tease me. Now, unless I am deceived, it is almost supper, and I believe we should start the journey to the dining room. Would you care to escort me, my princes?"

* * *

Supper that night was a relatively quiet affair for the Company, although the expectant looks all the dwarves excepting Fili, Kili, Balin, and Thorin kept sending her were making Gwyn more than a little uneasy. Several times she tried to get the excited dwarves to confess why they kept looking at her, but they all deflected her questions in one way or another. This amused both Balin and Thorin greatly, and Fili and Kili were as confused as Gwyn as to their companions' behavior. Bilbo, as anxious as the other members of the Company, retained his manners and sense of subtlety, so his expectant looks were cleverly hidden, cast when Gwyn was engaged in conversation with another member of the Company.

After supper was over, Gwyn began clearing away the dirty dishes. However, she was soon interrupted by Bilbo and Ori, who told her that Thorin wished to speak with her. As she walked over to the dwarf king she saw many of the dwarves flash each other bright, excited smiles. When Fili and Kili made to follow Gwyn, Balin stopped them, giving them a wink before walking away. The two brothers looked at each other in confusion, before shrugging and walking over to join Bofur and Nori in smoking their pipes. They knew that Gwyn would tell them what she and Thorin discussed.

* * *

Gwyn looked for Thorin in all the common areas of the house, finally finding him in a small study. Knowing that this would be a private conversation, Gwyn shut the door behind her and announced her presence.

"You wished to speak with me?"

"Yes. I have my answer to your earlier request," the dwarf said. His face was solemn, as usual, but there was a spark of mirth in his eyes. Gwyn's breath caught in her throat as she waited for him to tell her whether she would be planning a wedding sooner or later. "After speaking with Balin about it, I have decided to grant your request. You and my sister-sons will be married here in accordance with your customs, and again in the Mountain in accordance with dwarvish customs. I have already told the others that they are to assist you in any way they can to plan and prepare, but I will leave it to you to tell Fili and Kili."

Gwyn was rather stunned that Thorin had agreed to let her marry her princes before they faced the dragon. She recovered quickly though, and swept a deep, graceful curtsy to the king.

"Thank you my lord! There is one more request I would make of you," Gwyn said.

"Yes?"

"In my world, you would be the only person with enough power to marry your nephews and myself, so I would ask that you perform our ceremony. Please?"

"Would you write for me what to say?"

"Absolutely! I could have your script to you by the morning after next. Is that acceptable?"

"Very well, as King, I will marry you now, and in Erebor."

"Thank you…Uncle." Gwyn cast a bright smile at the dwarf, before rushing out to speak with her lovers.

"You did a good thing, giving her this. I'm sure this whole journey has been quite strange, and Gwyn is probably more grateful for this reminder of her home than even she realizes," Balin said, taking Gwyn's place in the study with Thorin.

"I know, my old friend, I know."

Gwyn saw Fili and Kili sitting with Bilbo, Bofur, and Nori, all five of them enjoying their pipes. She rushed over to them, face split by a wide smile. Since Thorin had already announced that the trio was to marry before the Company departed for the Lonely Mountain, everyone, with the exception of Fili and Kili, knew exactly what had made Gwyn so happy. Ori was practically bouncing in his excitement, only Dori's hand on his arm prevented the shy dwarf from leaping up to hug the girl he had come to consider his friend. Bilbo, Bofur, and Nori all hid their smiles around the stems of their pipes.

"Excuse me, could I borrow these two for a few moments?" Gwyn asked her friends. They all nodded their assent, and Gwyn took her princes' hands and led them away. She was too excited to lead them back to their room though, so they wound up in one of the empty rooms on the first floor of the house.

While the trio was gone, Thorin and Balin emerged from the study. They were taking in the scene in the common room, noticing that Gwyn, Fili, and Kili were conspicuously absent.

"So, was she excited?" Balin asked the other dwarves.

"Aye, she practically dragged them away. Still don't think they had any clue what made her so happy. You said she didn't tell them what she was asking you?" Dwalin said.

"Aye. She said she didn't want to get their hopes up, in case I…" Thorin was interrupted as twin whoops of joy echoed through the house, followed by Gwyn's ringing laughter.

"Well, I'd say they know now," Bofur said, "I'd wager the Master heard that racket!"

"Oh, this is all so romantic! I wonder what weddings look like where Gwyn is from?" Ori sighed.

"I don't know, but this wedding will still probably be very different from any wedding any of us, including Gwyn, have ever seen," Dori replied.

"And you will all help her plan this wedding? As Dori said, this will be different, especially for Gwyn, and we should all do our best to make sure this _hasty_ wedding exceeds her expectations of such an event. And their wedding in Erebor will be one of the grandest events to ever be recorded in our histories!" Thorin exclaimed. The other dwarves all agreed to do all they could to make this first wedding of their princes and soon-to-be-princess a success.

Soon, Gwyn and her two dwarves emerged from the room they had hidden in. At the broad smiles on the faces of the three lovers the other members of the Company sent up a shout of congratulations. Gwyn blushed, and it looked to everyone as though she had tears in her eyes, but if there were none fell. Ori and Bilbo were the first out of their seats, rushing over to Gwyn, grabbing her in tight hugs. Bofur followed soon after, and the rest of the dwarves after him. While Gwyn was being passed around amongst the dwarves, Thorin took his nephews aside, offering them his congratulations.

"You'll let us know, won't you, if you need us to do anything? We want to help you, any way we can. Just tell us what to do, and we'll do it," Bilbo said.

"Of course I'll tell you if I need your help, which I'm sure I will. Ori, could I please have some paper, a quill, and some ink? I would like to make a list of everything I'll need to do for this to work," the small dwarf rushed off to fetch Gwyn the requested items.

When Ori returned with the paper, quill, and ink, Gwyn thanked him. "Now, I'll have a better idea of what kind of help I will need after I've made this list. But right now, I believe I have two other dwarves who need my attention. If you'll all excuse me," Gwyn said, before walking over to Fili and Kili. The three of them had yet to stop smiling, which made the others smile. Thorin thought that maybe, after the events in Mirkwood and what they still had to face, this wedding would be exactly what the Company needed to lift their spirits and keep them high. Unbeknownst to him, everyone else was thinking the exact same thing, especially when they saw just how in love Gwyn, Fili, and Kili were.

* * *

Thorin had decided that the Company would set out on the last leg of their journey on October ninth. Gwyn, Fili, and Kili decided together to hold their wedding on October sixth, so that they could have a few days to themselves, and to give their companions time to recover from the celebration that would follow the wedding. In the two weeks leading up to the wedding, Gwyn frequently rose before the sun and went to bed long after everyone else. The others knew that she was working as hard as she could to prepare for her wedding and for the journey to Erebor. Her list of things to prepare was always at hand, and Gwyn consulted it frequently.

Gwyn's nerves increased tenfold each time she saw the unchecked items on her list. She had neither time nor money to buy or make a white gown, there was no money to buy wedding rings, and no one to walk her to meet her princes and the king. These thoughts saddened her, but Gwyn did not betray her sadness on her face. When the others looked to her, all they saw was her excitement and happiness, for she was exceedingly happy and excited. The dwarves all helped in whichever way she asked. Ori helped Fili and Kili compose their vows, Bofur assured Gwyn that he and several of the others would provide the most beautiful music any of the Company had ever heard. Bilbo promised to find the most beautiful flowers he could to weave into a wreath for her hair. Dori and Bombur worked hard preparing the wedding meal, even bargaining to get the ingredients needed for a beautiful, if simple, cake.

* * *

The days ticked down to October sixth. Gwyn had arranged for Sigrid and Tilda to come to the dwarves' house early that morning to help Gwyn prepare, as the actual ceremony would not be until evening. Gwyn had insisted that she and her princes sleep separately the night before the wedding, telling the laughing dwarves and chuckling hobbit that it was considered bad luck for the groom, or grooms in Gwyn's case, to see the bride before the wedding. Grumbling, Fili and Kili decided that they would share Balin and Dwalin's room for the night.

October sixth dawned bright and clear, promising a beautiful night. Gwyn was awakened by several quick knocks on her door, which opened to reveal Dori and Bilbo, bearing trays with a breakfast of warm, flaky pastries and tea on it.

"Well, today is the big day! How did you sleep, my dear?" Dori asked, setting his tray down and pouring warm water into the washbasin.

"Surprisingly well. Usually when I am nervous about something, I sleep horribly. And I missed Fili and Kili," she replied, tying a robe over her night shift.

"Well, I suppose that's to be expected. I think the longest any of you have been apart were those few hours in the spiders' clutches and in Thranduil's dungeons, although you quickly solved that last account," Bilbo chuckled. Neither Bilbo nor Dori mentioned that the reason Gwyn slept so well was that Oin had slipped a very tiny dose of one of his sleeping potions into the chamomile tea she had drunk the night before. The old dwarf had done the same for Fili and Kili.

"Indeed. When Sigrid and Tilda arrive would you please send them up? Thank you," Gwyn said.

"Certainly. We'll be back later with something for you three girls to eat for lunch," Bilbo said as he and Dori left Gwyn alone.

Sitting in front of the vanity, Gwyn spent several long moments gathering her thoughts. _I'm actually getting married today. And in a few days from now, I'll be on my way with my husbands to face a dragon. Well, my life has certainly taken a turn for the interesting ever since I came to Middle Earth. And I still don't know how that came to pass!_ Gwyn was startled from her thoughts when Sigrid and Tilda entered her room.

Gwyn quickly washed her face while Sigrid pulled several hairpins out of her apron pocket. After Gwyn had bathed the night before, she had tied her long dark hair up into a knot on the top of her head, and secured that with a few rags that she had found. Retaking her seat in front of the vanity, she slowly unwound the rags and the knot, leaving her hair to cascade down her back. Her hair had dried mostly straight, but with a pleasing curl to the ends.

"You have such pretty hair, Miss Gwyn. I'm not even sure we should braid and bind it, other than any customary braids you might want," Sigrid said, taking up a soft brush and running it lightly through Gwyn's hair. Little Tilda could only watch in amazement as the two older girls decided how to style Gwyn's hair.

"I rather think you are right. I shall wear my courtship braids, and tonight after the ceremony, Fili and Kili will replace the marriage braids that I have worn," Gwyn said. She quickly braided her courtship braids back into her hair, fingers flying through her long hair. She stood and walked over to the wardrobe, intending to draw out a fine green dress she had decided on. However, when she opened the wardrobe doors, her breath caught in her throat. Inside was the kind of gown meant to be worn to a wedding. The kirtle was of dark blue velvet, Durin blue, Gwyn had heard it called. The surcoat was made of heavy ivory satin, with elegant bell sleeves. There was silver embroidery around the neckline, the bottom of the sleeves, and the hem of both the kirtle and the surcoat. Additionally, there was a pair of delicate blue slippers, and a jeweled belt to be worn at the pointed dropped waist of the surcoat. The sight of this unexpected gift brought tears to Gwyn's eyes.

"Oh, that's the loveliest dress I've ever seen! I think it'll look quite well on Miss Gwyn, don't you Tilda? Wherever did you get that dress?" Sigrid gushed.

"I don't know. I had planned to wear the nicest dress I had, which was green. It's tradition where I come from for brides to wear white, but I had no white dress. Now, somehow, I do," Gwyn murmured, carefully taking the dress from the wardrobe and laying it on the bed.

From downstairs, the three girls heard a shout of surprise, and the thump of feet running up the stairs. After a hurried knock, Bilbo burst into the room, holding a wreath of some sort.

"Gwyn, I made the flower wreath for your hair last night and set it in the cellar to stay fresh. When I went to retrieve it, the flowers had turned to stone!" Indeed, in Bilbo's hands was a delicate wreath that looked as though it had been wrought from silver and diamonds, even though Gwyn knew that Bilbo had woven together quince blossoms that he had found somewhere. Looking at the wreath, which could only really be called a tiara now, Gwyn saw that it matched the embroidery on her dress, and the jeweled belt. Just then, Tilda pointed out that very fact.

"Look Sig! It matches Gwyn's dress!" the little girl exclaimed. Bilbo turned to look where Tilda was pointing and his gaze fell on the gown laid out on the bed.

"Oh my stars, where in the world did you get that?"

"I don't know where it came from. I was planning on wearing that green dress I showed you a few days ago, but when I went to take it out of the wardrobe, this was there instead. It's tradition where I come from for brides to wear white, but I didn't have anything suitable, so I was going to wear the green," Gwyn answered.

"Well, I don't know what wedding dresses look like where you're from, but I'd say this one is fit for a princess!" the hobbit said. He gently set the tiara on a shelf before bowing to Gwyn with a smile and excusing himself, promising to be back soon with lunch. The later the day grew though, the more nervous and excited Gwyn got. She wasn't sure how much lunch she would actually be able to eat, her stomach was so knotted up.

Luckily, Bilbo had recognized her nerves and he brought sandwiches for Sigrid and Tilda, but he gave Gwyn a bowl of soup.

"You look a bit jumpy, so I reckon you'll not have much of an appetite. You need to eat though, so I thought you might like some soup. It was my mother's recipe!"

"Thank you Bilbo, it smells wonderful!" The girls tucked into their lunches as Bilbo excused himself, claiming he was needed downstairs. As soon as he reached the common room, which had been decorated simply for the event to be held that night, he told everyone gathered in the room of the changes to Gwyn's wedding clothes and her wreath of flowers becoming a tiara. Several of the dwarves gasped, hearing of the transformations.

"'Tis the Valar blessing this union. They wish for Gwyn to be arrayed as the princess she will become after the ceremony. Quickly, Fili and Kili, run to see about your wedding clothes!" Oin said. The two princes bolted to their temporary room, and the assembled dwarves heard two exclamations of surprise. Soon, Fili and Kili reemerged, looking stunned.

"Our clothes have changed as well. They are much finer than anything we have ever owned, made of velvets and fine furs. Do you truly think it is the Valar?" Kili said, awe in his voice.

"There is no other explanation," the apothecary and soothsayer said.

* * *

Back upstairs, the girls had finished their lunches, and Sigrid and Tilda were helping Gwyn dress in her wedding clothes. First, they laced Gwyn into a proper corset, whittling her waist to an even more pronounced hourglass shape. Next, the two younger girls helped Gwyn into the deep blue kirtle, adjusting the fit and fall so that it flowed elegantly around her. The next step was the white surcoat, which laced up the back and flowed out into a short train. The final step was to help Gwyn put her slippers on. Because she had so many layers of heavy fabric on, and because all of those layers were laced tightly to showcase Gwyn's figure, she could not bend over well enough to put the slippers on.

Gwyn paced the room a couple of times to get used to the feel and movement of the gown around her. After her second pass, Gwyn carefully sat in front of the vanity, trying to see how the dress fit when she was sitting versus how it fit when she was standing. Satisfied with her conclusions, Gwyn withdrew a small jar from one of the vanity's drawers. As she removed the lid, Tilda and Sigrid looked over her shoulder to see the contents of the jar. Gwyn dipped a finger into the colored paste inside the jar and gently dabbed it on her lips, staining them a soft rosy red.

"What's that stuff, Miss Gwyn? We ain't ever seen anything like it!" Tilda asked.

"You should have said we've never seen anything like it, silly!" Sigrid scolded.

"It's a sort of cosmetic I made. It can be used to darken the lips, as I have done, or it can be spread across the cheeks making you look flushed. Women where I come from frequently use such things, especially on important days like today," Gwyn explained, giving the two other girls a closer look at the contents of the jar. Both girls were impressed that Gwyn had been able to make the colored paste, and they thought the color suited her quite well.

Sigrid picked up a soft brush from the vanity and began running it through Gwyn's hair, smoothing it into place from where it had become mussed during dressing. When she was finished, Gwyn's chestnut hair gleamed in the candle light. Catching her sister's eye, Sigrid motioned for Tilda to carefully bring the tiara over, so that Sigrid could pin it into Gwyn's hair. Just as Sigrid was putting the last pin into place there was a knock at the door, and Bilbo's voice called out that it was almost time for the ceremony.

"Thank you for your help today. You are more than welcome to stay for the ceremony if you would like," Gwyn said, turning to Sigrid and Tilda. Tilda looked excited at the prospect, but Sigrid declined.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid Da and Bain wouldn't like it much if we stayed much longer. We're needed at home. But we wish you all the luck and happiness in the world," Sigrid said, before taking her sister's hand and leading her home.

Gwyn took several moments to compose herself before she began making her way downstairs. She could faintly hear the male members of the Company laughing and teasing Fili and Kili. When she reached the bottom of the last set of stairs, Gwyn's heart was racing. She gently touched the rose pendant that Fili and Kili had given her, which served to calm her somewhat. As she waited in the hall, she heard Thorin announce that it was time for the ceremony to begin. Gwyn took a deep breath and rounded the corner into the common area where the ceremony was to be conducted. She heard several gasps from the dwarves and the hobbit, but her attention was solely on Fili and Kili.

Both of her princes looked so handsome that Gwyn's breath caught in her throat. They were dressed similarly, in tunics of rich velvet with coats lined with very fine quality furs. Both Fili and Kili wore her courtship braids, as well as braids denoting their rank as Thorin's heirs. Gwyn dimly noticed that indeed, all of the men were wearing very nice clothes, but Fili, Kili, and Thorin were dressed in the finest fabrics with the nicest furs. Gwyn startled a bit when she felt someone take each of her arms. Looking to her left, she saw that Balin had a fond smile on his face, and on her right, Bilbo seemed to already be fighting tears.

"Thorin told us that it is customary in your land for someone close to the bride to give her away to her husband-to-be and that you planned to give yourself away. Bilbo and I would be honored if you would allow us to present you," Balin said. The thoughtfulness of the gesture brought tears to Gwyn's eyes, and she nodded, too overcome to actually voice her assent. Balin gently bumped his forehead against hers affectionately, before Bofur began playing a gentle tune on his flute, which Dwalin joined with his viol. As Balin and Bilbo began escorting Gwyn towards Fili and Kili, Balin whispered that the song the others were playing was a traditional dwarvish love song commonly played at weddings. Gwyn looked at the two musicians and gave them a soft smile. Dwalin gruffly nodded his head, while Bofur sent a cheerful wink her way.

After only a few moments (that felt like ages to Gwyn) she and her escorts stood in front of Fili, Kili, and Thorin.

"Who gives this woman away in marriage?" Thorin recited.

"We, Balin son of Fundin and Bilbo Baggins of the Shire, on behalf of ourselves and our companions, do so," Balin answered, passing her left hand to Fili, who gently kissed her knuckles. Bilbo gave her a kiss on the cheek whispering "You look absolutely beautiful, my dear" and passed her right hand to Kili, whose smile was so broad it very nearly split his face.

"Friends, we are gathered here to witness the joining of these dwarves and this woman in marriage. They have opted to say vows of their own writing. Fili will begin," Thorin said.

"Mizimel, you truly are the jewel of all jewels. On this journey you have shown that you are stronger than diamond, but softer than a rose. You have defended yourself, and others so many times, and I promise that I will do my utmost to protect you and help you. When you saved Kili's life, you saved my life, for I do not think I could live without my brother. Even when the night is darkest you do not fear it, and your light shines all the brighter. You truly are my One," Fili said. His voice was rough with emotion, but he wore a bright smile. Gwyn felt her eyes fill with tears once more at his words.

"Kili, you are next," Thorin said.

"Pundurith, as I said in Rivendell, you are the girl that my brother and I have dreamed of for as long as we can remember. We dreamt of your smile, your laugh, and the fierce look of battle in your eyes. You have shown yourself to be playful like a kitten, but dangerous as a wildcat. You saved my life and the lives of our companions many times, using your wits as frequently as your blades. I promise that I will always be there to protect you and help you. Even when the night is darkest you do not fear it, and your light shines all the brighter. You truly are my One," Kili said. His voice and his face held fervent sincerity, and Gwyn smiled at her two dwarves.

"Gwyn, it is your turn," Thorin said.

"My loves, when I came to Middle Earth, I was unsure of so many things. When I did not know my purpose, you both helped me find my place. When I discovered skills I did not know I possessed, you cheered me on and encouraged me. You both have protected me and comforted me. Fili, you make sure I do not lose myself in taking care of others. Kili, you lift my spirits when things go wrong. I am so thankful that I was allowed to find you, and I am even more thankful that I have been allowed to love you. I promise to always love you both, and I will always do my best to make sure I am worthy of your love in return. You are both the loves of my life, you are my Ones," Gwyn said, tears gently falling, but a smile lighting her face. Fili and Kili each wiped the tears away, returning her smile. They could hear several of the dwarves in the audience sniffling, and poor Bilbo seemed to be outright sobbing.

The three turned then to face Thorin.

"Do you Fili and Kili, sons of Vili, take this woman to be your wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"We do," the two princes answered.

"And do you Gwyndolyn, daughter of Evangeline, take these dwarves to be your wedded husbands? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Gwyn answered.

"Gwyn has told me that at this point in the ceremony there is traditionally an exchange of rings, but circumstances being what they are, we have been forced to forgo this tradition," the king said.

"Wait, I found three rings in my room this morning! I wasn't sure where they came from, but I figured they might be important," Gloin said, stepping forward with the rings. He handed the two thick mithril rings etched with the brothers' personal symbols and inlaid with jewels to Gwyn, and the more delicate mithril ring that looked like woven vines and also inlaid with jewels to Fili.

"Well, then let us proceed with this unanticipated part of the ceremony. Fili, Kili, repeat after me. With this ring I thee wed," Thorin said.

"With this ring I thee wed," the two brothers intoned, slipping the mithril and diamond ring onto the third finger of Gwyn's left hand.

"This ring is a symbol of my unending love for you, just as the circle has no end, so too does my love for you," the king said.

"This ring is a symbol of my unending love for you, just as the circle has no end, so too does my love for you," the brothers answered.

"Gwyn, please repeat after me. With this ring I thee wed,"

"With this ring I thee wed." Gwyn said, slipping the ring etched with each brother's symbol onto their respective fingers.

"This ring is a symbol of my unending love for you, just as the circle has no end, so too does my love for you," Thorin said.

"This ring is a symbol of my unending love for you, just as the circle has no end, so too does my love for you," Gwyn repeated.

"Now, with the power granted to me by the Valar as rightful King Under the Mountain, I declare you dwarves and wife. Seal your vows with a kiss!" And the newlyweds proceeded to do exactly that, inciting shouts from the assembled members of the Company.

"Bombur and Dori have been working all day in the kitchen preparing the wedding meal. They have truly outdone themselves, let us go enjoy their labors!" Bofur called, leading the way to the dining hall. Gwyn, Fili, and Kili followed just after him, and the rest of the Company trailed behind.

When the three newlyweds entered the dining hall, they saw the table piled high with all kinds of food. In the corner, on a small side table, sat a cake, that had been carefully decorated with symbols of Fili, Kili, and Gwyn. Gwyn turned to thank Bombur and Dori, who told her that Ori and Bilbo had been the ones to decorate the cake. Ori was tucked in a corner for the moment, quill busily sketching away in his journal.

"Dori told me that you helped to decorate the cake. I wanted to thank you, it's lovely," Gwyn said, startling the dwarf.

"I-i-it was n-nothing, milady. I j-just wanted t-to do more to h-h-help make today spe-special for you and Fili and Kili," the shy dwarf stuttered.

"Gwyn, come on! Thorin says that the feast can't begin until you have taken your seat!" Kili called.

"It seems my presence is needed elsewhere. Thank you again Ori, the cake is lovely," Gwyn said, turning to join Fili and Kili at the table.

The dwarves greatly enjoyed the wedding feast that had been prepared. They laughed and drank, and when they had eaten their fills, Bofur and Dwalin and several others took up their instruments and began playing music. Standing on either side of her, Fili and Kili each bowed to her, asking her for a dance. Rising gracefully, she took their offered hands, letting them lead her onto the improvised dance floor. As Bofur and the other musicians struck up a slow, romantic tune the three lovers began to sway gently together.

As the night wore on, and most of the Company got steadily more drunk on the Master's gift of mead, ale, and Elvish wine, Gwyn was passed around for multiple dances with each member of the Company, save Thorin. Fili, Kili, Gwyn, Thorin, and Bilbo had managed to stay mostly sober, and they laughed at their companions' drunken antics. Bofur had passed his flute off to Ori, Dwalin had given up his viol altogether, and the two of them were engaged in a drinking contest along with Gloin and Nori. It seemed to be to Gwyn that the winner of the contest was the last dwarf standing. She knew that the four dwarves would regret their consumption the next day when they had the mother of all hangovers, but she did not begrudge them their frivolity. Indeed, she, Fili, and Kili each picked a "champion" and cheered loudly for that dwarf. Gwyn had chosen Bofur, Fili cheered for Dwalin, and Kili supported Nori. Nori was the first dwarf to falter, having to run for the washroom, hands clapped over his mouth. Next to go was Gloin, who followed after Nori. Dwalin was the third to fall, and fall he did. The large warrior simply fell asleep at the table, his snores deafening. Gwyn declared Bofur the winner, and bestowed a kiss upon the drunken dwarf's cheek for his prize. Fili and Kili both laughed when Bofur turned a deep red at the honor.

As the celebration began winding down, Fili and Kili had each managed to procure a violin. They began playing in harmony, the song that they had written for Gwyn's second courtship gift. Hearing the song as it was meant to be played, Gwyn could hear how each brother's part showcased his personality. Fili's part was low and strong, providing the backbone, while Kili's part was tripping and trilling through the higher notes, providing the spirit, and occasionally the two blended together in the middle, providing the heart. Gwyn realized that if Fili was the strength of the trio, and Kili was the spirit, then she was the heart, and her eyes filled with tears, just as they had the first time she had heard the song.

The courtship song finished, the princes continued to serenade Gwyn with their music. At the start of their third song, the same love song that Bofur and Dwalin had played as Gwyn was escorted to meet Fili and Kili, she felt a large hand gently tap her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Thorin, hand extended in offer. "I believe it is customary where you come from for the father of the bride to share a dance with his daughter. Will you settle for an uncle by marriage?" the king asked.

"I would be glad to," Gwyn answered as she rose from her seat and curtsied to the king, before he began leading her around the dance floor.

"I do not know that I have seen my nephews as happy as they were when I pronounced you married. They truly love you, and I am grateful that you have come into our lives," Thorin said quietly.

"I love them both as well. They gave me something I didn't realize was missing from my life, and I too am grateful that I came here. I am grateful for so many things," Gwyn responded, just as quietly.

"When we reclaim Erebor you shall be presented as my nephews' chosen wife, and once my sister arrives we will plan your second ceremony."

"Agreed. And I have been thinking. Surely some of the older dwarves at least will balk at the fact that I am not a dwarf? We could counter their protests by announcing that Fili, Kili, and I were married in accordance with my customs and that divorce is as frowned upon in my culture as it is in yours. The dissenters would have no option but to accept us, lest they want to smear their princes' names and reputations with a divorce," Gwyn said so quietly that only Thorin could hear.

"I shall speak with Balin about the matter, but you provide a good solution, should it be necessary." The music stopped then, and Fili and Kili interrupted Gwyn's conversation with their uncle.

"Excuse us, but we would like to take our bride to bed. We have been in awe of her beauty all night, and we are sure that our rose is tired. Good night, Uncle," Fili said, taking Gwyn's left hand. Kili took her right, and the three made their excuses to the members of the Company still conscious, before heading up the stairs to their chambers.

When the three entered their room, Gwyn immediately began removing the pins securing her tiara. Sigrid had done an excellent job of it, as the tiara never once became dislodged during the rigorous dancing Gwyn had enjoyed. Gwyn saw Fili and Kili both removing their fine clothes, leaving them laying all over the floor. She smiled at them in the mirror, and they both returned the gesture. Fili approached her and pulled her to him, kissing her soundly.

"We never did get a chance to tell you how beautiful you looked tonight, mizimel. Durin blue suits you," he said when they broke apart. Gwyn's cheeks were flushed, but she looked as though she wanted to ask a question.

"Where did these clothes come from? I had planned to wear the green gown I had, but this was in its place. Bilbo wove me a garland made of quince blossoms, and it turned into a tiara over night. We had no rings, but Gloin found some this morning that just happened to fit our fingers. In fact, I noticed that everyone had very nice clothes tonight. Where did it all come from?" she asked.

"Oin said that all of these transformations were signs from the Valar, blessing our union. He said that the Valar wished for you to be arrayed as the princess you now are, pundurith," Kili answered, before he too pulled Gwyn to him and kissed her passionately in an attempt to silence her questions.

Together the two princes were able to unlace Gwyn's surcoat, revealing the whole of the kirtle, which they admired. The deep blue velvet made Gwyn's pale skin seem even paler, and her dark hair even darker by comparison. The brothers thought that in that moment Gwyn was more fair than any elf-maid, even Lord Elrond's legendary daughter Arwen. They then gently began unlacing Gwyn's kirtle, leaving it to pool around her feet. As the two dwarves looked at Gwyn in her corset and shift their eyes darkened at the way the device molded Gwyn's body. They looked at their princess with predatory expressions before they began herding her towards the bed.

Gwyn saw the looks on her princes' faces, and she decided to play along, allowing herself to be backed up until her knees hit the bed and she fell backwards. She shifted so that she knelt on the bed, grabbing Fili around the back of the neck and drawing him to her. Gwyn nipped at his bottom lip with her teeth, causing the blond dwarf to let out a rumbling groan. Gwyn smirked at him, scooting further back onto the bed, just out of reach of either dwarf. When the brothers clambered onto the bed, Gwyn found herself sandwiched between them faster than she thought possible. Teeth and tongues nipped and soothed her skin, distracting her to the point where she could not tell which brother was doing what. While Gwyn was reeling with sensation, Fili and Kili were both trying to unlace Gwyn's corset. However, Sigrid, being the daughter of a bargeman, had tied the laces into the sturdiest knots she could manage. Frustrated, Fili reached for the small knife he always kept within reach and passed the blade to Kili, who easily sliced through the laces. Feeling the sudden release of the pressure around her torso, Gwyn raised her eyebrows at Fili and Kili, who simply grinned in response as the latter tossed the now ruined article of clothing away. Gwyn took advantage of the respite from her princes' teasing kisses and stretched luxuriously, enjoying the freedom of movement.

Gwyn was quickly pinned back to the bed, though, when Fili and Kili began working her free of her shift. Both dwarves were clad only in their trousers, which Gwyn began untying. When the three lovers were naked, they came together in a tangle of teeth and limbs, gasps and groans of pleasure punctuating their activities. Sweat slicked bodies moved against each other in pursuit of a common goal. The brothers, though, would bring Gwyn to the brink of climax time and time again, until she was sobbing with need. Finally, Fili and Kili took pity on her and doubled their efforts on Gwyn and she shattered, her release so powerful she could not even give voice to her pleasure, her face contorted in a silent scream. The princes followed her off the cliff, and together the three newlyweds fell into a deep and sated sleep in each others arms.

* * *

Gwyn awoke the following morning to the sensations of fingers in her hair. She slowly opened her eyes, and was greeted, once again, with the sight of Fili and Kili braiding marriage braids into her hair. Once they were finished with the marriage braids, though, Fili added one more braid, an intricate little plait.

"I recognize the marriage braids, of course, my love, but what is this new braid you have added?" Gwyn asked, voice still rough with sleep.

"It a sign of royalty, mizimel. Now that we are properly married, at least according to your customs, you are a princess, although we do not yet have our kingdom," Fili answered.

"We might not have it now, but we will reclaim it very soon," she replied, snuggling back into her dwarves' warmth. There was a knock on the door, and a muffled _thump_ as something was set down on the other side of it. Rising slowly, Kili made his way to the door, putting on a pair of loose trousers as he went. Checking to make sure Gwyn's still nude body was covered, he opened the door, spying no one, but seeing there was a tray laden with food left for the newlyweds.

Grabbing the tray, Kili returned to the bed, grabbing Gwyn's shift on the way. As much as the brothers did not like it, they knew that Gwyn would object to eating unclothed. The brothers worked to situate the tray on the bed so that all three of them had access to the treats on it, and Gwyn shimmied herself back into her shift. She had arranged with the other members of the Company that the newlyweds would be left alone for the first day after the wedding, to spend their last bit of privacy before setting off again however they wanted. Obviously, the others had teased her for her reasons, but she just gave them one of her Looks, and they had agreed.

The trio spent their day lazing about in bed, making the most of the large bed. At one point, the two dwarves had fallen asleep, and Gwyn snuck off to bathe. While she was soaking in the warm water, Gwyn heard the door open and shut behind her, and she saw Fili and Kili stripping off their loose trousers to join her in the tub, which was large by the standards of Men, easily accommodating the three bodies. By the time the three lovers were done in the bath the water had gone quite cold. They took turns drying each other off, before returning to their room. Gwyn had tied her long hair up before her bath, so when Gwyn and her two lovers returned to their room, she sat in front of the mirror to let her hair down, hearing gasps as the dark locks cascaded down her back. Turning to face Fili and Kili, she was met with unabashed staring. She walked over to join Fili and Kili on the bed, their eyes on her the entire way.

"What has you two so entranced? You look as though you have never seen me let my hair down before," she teased.

"We are marveling at our luck, pundurith, to be wedded to a woman as beautiful as you. Last night even the moon was jealous of your beauty, and you are ours. We are the luckiest dwarves in Middle Earth," Kili responded, kissing her gently.

"I am the lucky one, my loves, to have such two wonderful dwarves to call my husbands," Gwyn answered, kissing them both, before asking them to teach her how to plait the marriage braids into their hair.

* * *

Two days later saw the members of the Company arrayed in elaborate armor and fine cloaks that the Master of Lake-Town had given them, as well as assorted weapons. Gwyn, however, was once again dressed in her tunic and leggings, her corset and bracers serving as her only armor. Somehow though, Gwyn's lack of armor made her seem all the more dangerous, as though she did not need it to protect her. Gwyn had been surprised to find her weapons that she had lost in Mirkwood including her bow, a fresh quiver of arrows, and a few throwing knives that she had lost during the Company's escape from the Elvenking's dungeons tucked away at the back of the wardrobe in her room. She did not question her luck though, instead offering up a thankful prayer to the Valar.

Thorin had already made a speech promising to help restore Lake-Town to its former glory. The Master was droning on now, wishing the Company luck facing the dragon. When he at last was finished speaking, the Company moved to board the boats that would bear them across the Long Lake. Just before Gwyn boarded the crafts, she turned back to the Master and his henchman.

"On behalf of myself and my companions, _my lord_ , we thank you for the _generous_ hospitality we have been treated with during our stay in your town," Gwyn said in a ringing voice. To the casual listener, she sounded sincere, but her friends heard the cold sarcasm in her voice, and saw her smirk when the Master swelled angrily. She bobbed a quick, graceful curtsy, and nimbly boarded the boat, joining Fili and Kili in looking toward their destination. At Thorin's signal, the Men piloting the boats began steering them away from the dock, taking the dwarves, hobbit, and girl to face a dragon.


	13. Chapter 12

It took the Company three days' travel by boat to reach the far shore of the Long Lake. When the boats carrying the dwarves landed, there were ponies there waiting for them. Thorin thanked the Men for helping them, even though they were brought closer to the dragon in doing so. The Men had been visibly nervous the closer they came to the Mountain, and everyone could tell that they were anxious to return to their homes.

After the Men had departed, the dwarves and Bilbo quickly divested themselves of the heavy, awkward, ill-fitting armor the Master had bestowed upon them. They were happy to leave it behind. Thorin was anxious to be within sight of their goal, and so he wanted the Company to travel at speed, despite Gwyn's assurances that they would reach the Mountain with time to spare before Durin's Day. Each member of the Company quickly chose a pony and mounted up, wanting to cover as much distance as possible before the sun went down.

There were fourteen ponies for the Company plus two packhorses laden with supplies. By some twist of fate, one of the ponies happened to be a beautiful, high-spirited filly. It was that same twist of fate that dictated that Gwyn be the unfortunate soul to have to ride her, as the filly would not allow any of the men of the Company to approach her. As the Company set off, Balin and Bilbo on their ponies leading the packhorses, Gwyn's pony began engaging in a battle of wits and wills with the girl. The filly would be fine, following Gwyn's directions well, until another member of the Company came too close. Then the filly's ears would press back against her skull and Gwyn would be forced to steer the filly away lest the ponies get into trouble.

After the fourth time Gwyn had to separate from the group, she began thinking of ways to calm the filly if anyone else rode by. When the filly nipped at Kili's pony though, that's when Gwyn's patience with the filly finally ran out. Reining the pony up sharply, Gwyn swiftly dismounted and walked around to face the pony. Grabbing the filly's bridle just under her chin, Gwyn jerked the filly's head down so that the two females were eye-to-eye. The other members of the Company reined in their own ponies to watch how Gwyn was going to handle the filly's misbehavior.

"Now, you listen here Missy. I am sick and tired of your attitude. I don't care if you like the others or not, but right now, your attitude is getting in the way of our progress. Every time I have to steer you away from the others and ride apart from them is time lost. Now, are you going to behave, or do I have to resort to more drastic measures to make you understand?" The filly seemed to nod in understanding, and Gwyn moved to remount her pony, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes as she swung back into the saddle. Seeing that Gwyn was ready to continue on, Thorin gave the signal that the Company was to move out. The dwarves, Bilbo, and Gwyn all nudged their respective ponies forward, hoping to make at least a few more miles' progress to the Mountain before night fell. Catching Fili and Kili's furtive glances at her, she motioned them over, intending to test her pony. When the filly's ears only briefly flicked in annoyance at the dwarves being nearby, Gwyn smiled and gave the filly an affectionate pat on the neck, praising her for her good behavior. Fili and Kili were startled by the change in the pony's demeanor, and they asked Gwyn about it.

"What sort of sorcery did you cast on your pony, pundurith?"

"Indeed, mizimel, not even an hour ago your pony would not suffer either of us to be so near her for so long."

"It wasn't sorcery, Kili. Ponies and horses are intuitive creatures. I simply let her know, in no uncertain terms, that her behavior was not going to be tolerated. She understood the message, if not the actual words themselves," Gwyn answered, smiling at her dwarves. "Besides, I'm married to _two_ dwarves of the line of Durin, which is renowned for its stubbornness. _One_ uppity pony is nothing in comparison!" she said, throwing a cheeky wink at her husbands, who just laughed at the truth in her statement.

* * *

The Company continued riding for several days, often starting out just as the sun was beginning to rise on the eastern horizon and not stopping until dusk settled over the land. The Lonely Mountain loomed ever closer, and with each passing mile the Company's agitation grew, but especially Thorin's. Gwyn tried to reassure their leader that they would reach the Mountain and find the hidden door well before Durin's Day, but that did not lessen the dwarf's anxiety. Finally, when the Company reached the base of the Mountain, Gwyn broke away from the Company, and steered her filly toward the western flank where there were two large statues of dwarves carved into the Mountain.

"Hey, lassie! Where are you going?" Bofur called out. Gwyn turned in her saddle to face the others.

"The door is on this side of the Mountain. We'll save time if we camp here until Durin's Day," she shouted back. The others looked to Thorin for guidance, and when he steered his pony to join Gwyn on the western flank the others followed. Looking up, Gwyn caught a flash of sunlight on a bird's wings, but she didn't give it a second thought, remembering that Oin had said at Bag-End that birds were returning to the Mountain.

When the other members of the Company had caught up with her, she led them closer to the statues guarding the Mountain, before stopping at the base of the one on the right.

"There are stairs carved into this statue, those will lead us to a ledge where the hidden door is located," she told Thorin. The dwarf looked closely at the statue, realizing it was a carving of his grandfather, Thror. He also saw the stairs Gwyn mentioned, cunningly disguised as geometric designs on the statue's clothing.

"We will camp here for now. Fili, Kili, see what you can hunt," Thorin said. Before he could continue with his assigning of duties, however, he was interrupted by a feminine shriek. Looking at Gwyn, he saw a large white bird perched on her head, looking down at the girl curiously. Several of the dwarves began laughing at Gwyn's crossed eyes, as she tried to see what exactly had landed on her head, startling her. Thorin walked over to Gwyn and held his arm up in offer to the bird, who just hissed and clicked its beak at him. Considering the situation for a moment, he told Gwyn to mimic his posture, wondering curiously at the bird's acceptance of Gwyn's arm, but refusal of his own.

"Greetings Little Princess, Rorka has been wanting to properly meet you for many years," the raven croaked in a raspy, vaguely female sounding voice.

"What do you mean, 'properly meet me'?" Gwyn asked nervously.

"Rorka watched Little Princess when Little Princess was a hatchling," the raven responded. Gwyn's eyes widened as she let out a soft gasp.

"What is it, mizimel?" Fili asked.

"When I was a child there was a field near my house that I walked by every day on my way to and from my lessons. There was a flock of ravens that lived in the field, and there was a white raven in the flock. I always felt like the ravens were watching over me, but especially the white one," she said quietly. Turning back to the white raven perched on her arm, Gwyn asked, "That was you, wasn't it?"

The raven preened a bit, seeming very pleased with herself that Gwyn remembered her. "Rorka will serve as messenger for Little Princess only, but the rest of Rorka's flock will serve Dwarf King Under Mountain," the bird said.

"Rorka, where is your flock?" Thorin asked.

"Rorka's flock nests on Ravenhill, as Rorka's ancestors have for generations, Dwarf King."

"Who leads your flock?" Balin asked.

"Roäc, son of Carc, who is Rorka's grand-father is our flock-chief," the raven responded.

"Thank you Rorka," Thorin said, before drawing Balin away to discuss the Company's situation with him.

* * *

When Durin's Day dawned three days after Rorka's appearance, the Company was restless. Thorin woke everyone well before dawn, so that they could begin their trek up the Mountain, courtesy of the stairs Gwyn had pointed out before. Everyone grumbled a bit at Thorin's impatience, but it was worrying Gwyn, who wondered if the Gold-Sickness was manifesting already, just because of the proximity to their goal. If anyone noticed her furrowed brows they attributed it to morning grumpiness, which they were all well used to from Gwyn at that point. However, when Gwyn started chewing her lower lip because of her concerns about Thorin, her princes took notice. Gwyn, Fili, and Kili had paused in their trek up the stairs to talk, having found a small landing.

"If you chew on your lip anymore, you're going to chew it right off!" Kili teased, before he used his thumb to gently tug her lip free of her teeth, and kissed her for good measure.

"What has you so worried, mizimel, that you would do such a thing?" Fili asked, concern for Gwyn lacing his tone.

"I'm worried about Bilbo, is all. The door will open tonight, and Bilbo will have to go face a dragon," Gwyn said. Fili and Kili each wrapped their arms around Gwyn, murmuring reassurances.

"Bilbo will be fine, pundurith, you'll see," Kili said.

"Kili's right, mizimel. Bilbo will be fine. He was able to pass undetected for weeks when we were imprisoned in Mirkwood, it will be just the same," Fili said, pressing a kiss to the top of Gwyn's head.

"Gwyn, Fili, Kili, hurry up!" Thorin's voice called down to them.

"We'd best do as he says," Gwyn said with a small sigh. The three resumed their journey up the stairs, and before long they had caught up with the rest of the Company.

It was midday by the time the Company reached the top of the stairs. Everyone began setting up their camp for the night, since there wasn't much else to do. As the sun began its descent towards the western horizon, Thorin's anxiousness grew by leaps and bounds.

"I'm trusting that you are right and that this is where the hidden door will appear," he said gruffly to Gwyn.

"It is, I'm sure of it. And speaking of the hidden door, I've been thinking about the riddle on Thror's map. You said it was written in moonrunes, right?" she responded.

"Aye, that's correct," Thorin answered.

"Well, what if the _keyhole_ is only shown by the moon?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"The map said that the last light of Durin's Day would reveal the keyhole," Balin answered, having been listening to their conversation.

"Exactly. Durin's Day is when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter appear in the sky together. Strictly speaking, the last light of _any_ day is the light of the moon, so the keyhole will probably be revealed by moonlight," Gwyn said confidently.

"But the map says the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day, the keyhole will be revealed by the sunset," Thorin insisted.

"As I said, the last light of any given day, including Durin's Day, is moonlight. But we shall see who's right this evening, do not be surprised when I'm right," Gwyn said, before she walked away to join Fili and Kili.

Eventually, the sun was only just visible on the horizon, and the tension in the Company was palpable. Thorin stood nearest to the wall of the Mountain where Gwyn had said the hidden door would be, key in hand, ready for the last light of the day to reveal the keyhole. When the sunlight faded, and there was no sign of a keyhole appearing, murmurs of disappointment rippled through the Company. Thorin turned away, shoulders slumped in defeat. Gwyn smiled to herself, and with one eye on the sky, counted down from three. When the clouds drifting across the sky parted and the moon shone through the break, Gwyn whistled shrilly to get Thorin's attention.

"Remember what I said about the moon revealing the keyhole? Take a look, it's appeared," she said with a smirk, pointing to the side of the Mountain. Sure enough, there was a slight shadow amongst the rock that hadn't been there a few minutes before, and a slight shimmer could be seen in the moonlight. Thorin hurriedly inserted his key and a dull click was heard when he turned it. With an expectant look at the Company, he placed both hands firmly on the rock near the keyhole and pushed. There was a faint scraping sound and the door opened inward. The dwarves all looked on in awe as they filed into the Mountain – into Erebor.

Everyone was looking around, taking in their surroundings, when Bilbo noticed runes carved above the door.

"What does that say?" he asked quietly. Surprisingly, it was Gloin who answered, voice hushed and reverent.

"Herein lies the seventh kingdom of Durin's folk. May the Heart of the Mountain unite all Dwarves in defense of this home."

"What's the 'Heart of the Mountain'?" Bilbo asked.

"That, my lad, would be the Arkenstone, the reason why you're here," Balin answered. Bilbo seemed to pale in the dim light filtering through the open door as he realized that it was time for him to fulfill his contract as the Company's appointed burglar.

Bilbo looked around at the Company, receiving reassuring looks from all except Thorin, who gave Bilbo an impatient look, and gestured further into Erebor with a sharp tilt of his chin. Bilbo gulped audibly, but he shakily nodded and began moving down the passage, deeper into the Mountain, preparing to face a dragon. _The_ dragon. When Bilbo passed out of sight of the Company, they filed out of the narrow passageway and back onto the ledge where they had set up camp. Gwyn was checking her satchel from Lord Elrond for something to treat burns, when she saw Thorin's distinctive boots stop in front of her.

"You were right about the moonlight revealing the keyhole. For that, you have my thanks. My nephews are lucky to have you as their One. They chose wisely when they approached me during our stay in Beorn's Halls," he said gruffly.

"Thank you for thinking so," Gwyn muttered, blushing. Before Thorin could walk away though, she continued, "If I am not overstepping my bounds, I would remind you that there will come a time in the very near future, where you will be tested. Will you heed the counsel of others, or will their advice fall on deaf ears? I would ask that you hear their words, even if you do not listen to them," she finished quietly. She didn't want any of the others to hear her advice. Thorin nodded, puzzled by her cryptic words, before going to speak with Balin and Dwalin near the door.

Just as Gwyn found a jar labeled "to treat burns", Fili and Kili sat themselves on either side of her.

"So, pundurith, what were you talking about with Uncle just now?" Kili asked, nudging her with his shoulder.

"He was saying how lucky you two are to have me around," she answered cheekily. "His exact words were 'My stone-headed nephews are truly fortunate to have you here to save their hides, and I thank you for being willing to put up with them!'" she said. When the two dwarves realized she was teasing them they laughed loudly at her attitude, especially when she had seemed so worried earlier that day. When their laughter died down a bit Gwyn smiled softly at Fili and Kili and amended her earlier statement, "All he really said was that you were lucky to have me as your One, and that you chose wisely when you spoke with him at Beorn's."

"Aye, he's right mizimel, Mahal has truly blessed us with you," Fili said gently, before giving Gwyn a soft kiss. Gwyn smiled when she felt Kili's lips on the knuckles of her right hand, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. Both brothers put their arms around Gwyn, and together the three of them waited for Bilbo to return.


	14. Chapter 13

Some time later, Bifur's shout of alarm snapped Gwyn to full alertness. Moving quickly, she grabbed her blanket and braced herself in front of the hidden door. Before the rest of the Company had time to question her actions, Bilbo came sprinting out onto the ledge, flames licking at his clothes. Using her blanket, Gwyn smothered the flames before they could cause too much damage to Bilbo, aside from his feet, which were already blistering. She quickly sat Bilbo down and grabbed the jar of burn paste from where she had set it. With quick, precise movements, Gwyn slathered the paste over poor Bilbo's burnt feet. The whole Company waited tensely for Bilbo to relax, signaling that the paste had started to dull the pain in Bilbo's feet.

"What happened down there, Bilbo?" Balin asked. Thorin was standing nearby, waiting to hear the hobbit's report.

"We sat down and had a lovely chat over some tea. He's going to come round next week for supper. What do you _think_ happened? I went down there, Smaug knew what I was there for and he didn't like that, _at all_. I had to run for my life!" Bilbo snarked, obviously still in some pain. Thorin glowered at Bilbo, and Gwyn briefly registered the protectiveness in Thorin's stance, and promised herself to revisit that development when the Company was safe. At Thorin's look, Bilbo sighed, sounding exhausted, and began a detailed report of what transpired with the dragon.

While Bilbo was telling everyone what happened inside Erebor, Gwyn was scanning the surrounding area for possible hiding places, knowing that the dragon was awake, angry, hungry, and in all likelihood, coming after the Company. The ledge the Company was camped on was protected on three sides by the Mountain and the hidden stairs, but it was entirely too exposed to an aerial attack for Gwyn's taste. The ground at the base of the Mountain was even worse, completely exposed, which left the Company's only route for escape in the event of dragon attack was to go inside the Mountain. Gwyn thought she heard a distant rumbling, like the enraged roar of a dragon, so she quickly interrupted Bilbo's report to ask him about the layout of Erebor.

"Bilbo, did the corridor you followed branch out at any point? Did it curve or turn anywhere? Were there any rooms or large chambers off it, aside from the treasury?" she asked rapidly. Thorin glared at her for interrupting Bilbo, but she gave him a challenging look before turning back to Bilbo, who explained the corridor's layout as well as he could. When he had finished with his description, Bilbo turned back to Thorin, and finished telling him every last detail of the hobbit's interaction with Smaug. Gwyn was lost in thought, worrying her lower lip between her teeth, trying to come up with a suitable shelter for the Company in case of dragon attack, when a loud roar ripped through the stillness of the night. There was a loud, rumbling, crashing sound, and the Mountain started shaking under the Company's feet.

"Was that an earthquake?" Ori asked, voice trembling in fear.

"I'm fairly certain that was, in fact, the dragon, because we aren't lucky enough for that to have been an earthquake," Gwyn said, hurriedly grabbing her supplies. The others followed her lead, and then a great gust of wind buffeted the Company.

"Everyone, inside the Mountain, now!" Thorin and Gwyn shouted, before following the others inside, Thorin carrying Bilbo carefully in his arms, mindful of the hobbit's burned feet. They had barely cleared the door into the Mountain, there was a rage filled roar from outside, just above the ledge where the Company had been camped. The wind from the dragon's wings kicked up dust and dirt, which swirled around the Company, blinding them and making them cough.

"Intruders! _I_ am King Under the Mountain, not the dwarvish upstart Thorin Oakenshield! I claimed the throne from Thror, it is mine by right!" Smaug roared. Gwyn could see Thorin's vague outline through the dirty haze, and she could see that he had set Bilbo down and was preparing himself to make a stand against Smaug. The others noticed the changes in Thorin's posture as well, because before Gwyn could react, Dwalin, Gloin, and Dori were all gripping at Thorin, restraining him. The dwarf king struggled against his friends restraining him, trying to shout Khuzdul battle-cries through the choking dust. A strange coughing sound reverberated through the corridor, and Gwyn realized that Smaug was laughing at them.

"Well, it won't matter soon. You will die, by my fire, my claws, or trapped like the cowards all dwarves are. In the meantime, I am going to remind those tub-trading Lakemen what a dragon can do!" The Company only had a moment of peace before the Mountain began shaking under their feet once more.

"He's bringing down the Mountain, everyone take cover!" Gwyn shouted, even as rubble from the quickly collapsing doorway began falling around them. There were pained shouts as bits of rubble hit them. Gwyn had covered her head with her arms, and she cried out when a large chunk of rock hit her shoulder and bounced off. Gwyn felt two sets of arms wrap around her, shielding her from the falling debris.

Finally, after several minutes, the dust began clearing a second time, but the corridor was so dark that it hardly mattered. There were groans from every direction, as the dwarves took stock of their situation.

"Is everyone alright?" Thorin called out, voice even rougher than usual from the dust. There was a chorus of groans, but without any light there was no way to tell who had made the sounds.

"Sound off, if you can, when I call your name, and say if you're injured" Gwyn said.

"Bofur?"

"'m fine."

"Bombur?"

"A bit bruised, but alright."

"Bifur?"

There was a growled response in Khuzdul. "He says he's fine," Bofur translated.

"Ori?"

"I got hit by a rock, I think it's bleeding," the young dwarf said, voice shaky.

"We'll get that fixed up soon. Dori?"

"I'm fine."

"Nori?"

"Fine."

"Oin?"

There was a grunt, and a loud "What?" from the dwarf in question.

"He's fine, and so am I," Gloin said.

"Alright. Balin?"

"I'm alright, lassie."

"Dwalin?"

"It'll take more than that to hurt me," Dwalin growled. Even though she knew no one could see her, Gwyn still rolled her eyes.

"Bilbo?"

"I'm alright. Luckily my feet didn't get hit by any rocks."

Thorin had already made his presence known, so Gwyn didn't feel it necessary to call his name.

"Fili? Kili? Are you two alright?"

"We're both fine, pundurith. What about you?" Kili answered, wrapping an arm around Gwyn's shoulders. She hissed through her teeth when he jostled the shoulder that had been struck by the rock.

"I'm bruised, but otherwise fine," she said, pain evident in her voice. She felt another arm wrap around her waist from the other side.

"Are you certain, mizimel? Because simple bruising shouldn't pain you so. I can hear it in your voice. Oin should make sure you're alright, just to be safe," Fili said.

"I promise you, I'm only bruised. A rock struck my shoulder just right, and it hurts, but I'm sure it's only bruised," she placated. "But thank you for worrying, both of you. I'm glad you're both fine," Gwyn said, kissing each of her princes on the cheek. Just then the corridor was flooded with light from a torch Gloin had managed to scrounge up. Blinking against the sudden light, the Company began taking stock of their injuries. Many of them were sporting vivid bruises, and Ori was indeed bleeding where a rock had struck his arm.

While Oin was looking over the worst of the injuries, primarily bruises in tender places and the occasional cut or scrape, Thorin and Balin tried to figure out what they should do.

"The poor people of Lake-Town. They were so kind to us, except for the Master and Alfrid," Ori said, brows furrowed in concern.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. After all, Bard still had one Black Arrow, and he knew that there was a large possibility that the dragon would attack. There will be some damage to the town, but hopefully Bard can bring Smaug down before too many lives are lost," Gwyn said.

"I hope you're right, Gwyn. Otherwise, we'll have been responsible for the destruction of Lake-Town," Bilbo said.

"Have I been wrong about _anything_ yet?" Gwyn said, smirking. Fili and Kili also smirked when no one could answer Gwyn's question.

* * *

Once Oin had taken care of all of the various injuries caused by Smaug's cave-in, including Gwyn's shoulder at Fili and Kili's insistence, the Company set up a temporary camp in the corridor, where they would be mostly protected in case of Smaug's return.

"Get some rest, everyone. There will be no need to have a guard here, so take what rest you can," Thorin said. "Tomorrow, if we have not heard the dragon return we will go to the Great Hall to assess the damage." There were murmurs of assent throughout the Company, but alarm bells sounded in Gwyn's mind, and she worried about Thorin seeing the gold of Erebor. If anyone shared Gwyn's doubts, they hid them well, better than Gwyn did, she was sure. Her concerns were written plainly in her furrowed brows, and her bitten lip. No one mentioned Gwyn's behavior, but Fili and Kili made sure to settle the three of them somewhat away from the others, further down the corridor, for a bit of privacy.

As the trio settled down in their bedrolls, Fili and Kili pressed closely to Gwyn.

"What troubles you, mizimel? Is it the thought of the dragon going to Lake-Town?" Fili whispered.

"No, I meant what I said earlier, Bard will bring the beast down, it is only a matter of how quickly he manages to do it. What troubles me is beyond our control," she answered.

"Then why worry about it, pundurith? If it is outside of our control, surely it does not bear thinking of," Kili said against Gwyn's neck.

"That is precisely why I am concerned. It affects all of us, but we can do nothing to prevent it."

"Is it Uncle?" Fili asked, having noticed his uncle's increasingly anxious behavior.

"So you've noticed it as well?" she responded dryly.

"Indeed, but perhaps his demeanor is only because he is anxious to begin rebuilding Erebor into its former glory?" Fili said, tightening his hold on Gwyn.

"Well, I hope for all of our sakes that this time I truly am wrong," Gwyn said, before closing her eyes and drifting uneasily into sleep, Fili and Kili following not long after.

* * *

When the Company woke some time later, they had no sense of how much time had passed. Without windows, they could not tell if it was day or night, but Bombur nevertheless started passing out rations, while Gloin lit a few torches.

"Eat quickly, there is much to do. Gwyn, as soon as you've finished, go down to check for the dragon. He is unfamiliar with your scent," Thorin said. Fili and Kili looked at their uncle with wide eyes, but Gwyn simply nodded a bit shakily as she took a bite of her cram.

"If the dragon is still gone, I'll whistle an all clear. If you hear that, you'll know it's safe to come down," she said after she swallowed. Gwyn tried to take a few more bites of cram, but she found her mouth too dry to swallow. She passed her leftover cram to Bifur, as she stood up and brushed crumbs from her clothes. Gwyn tried to ignore how everyone, except for Thorin, was looking at her, and she smiled at them, trying to look reassuring.

"Well, I'll either be right back, shouting about a dragon, or you'll hear my whistle," she said, as she took a torch that Gloin handed her. The third possibility, that the dragon would eat her straight away, before she could so much as scream, hung heavy in the air.

"We'll go with you, mizimel," Fili said, packing away the rest of his own cram. Kili did the same.

"NO! You two are to stay here, and wait for her signal," Thorin barked. Everyone turned to face the dwarf king, with looks of varying degrees of astonishment. Gwyn merely looked at him resignedly.

"You cannot honestly expect us to let our One go to face whatever may be down there alone, do you?" Kili asked angrily.

"That is exactly what you will do. Now. Sit. Down," Thorin answered. Gwyn intervened before Kili could begin shouting at his uncle, and she kissed him, trying to reassure him that she would return. When they broke apart, Gwyn turned and gave Fili the same kiss. When that kiss ended, she placed a hand on one of each of her princes' cheeks.

"Don't worry my loves. You'll hear my signal soon enough," she said quietly. Thorin cleared his throat impatiently somewhere behind her, but she ignored him in favor of gently pressing her forehead against her husbands'. Gwyn gave everyone one last reassuring smile, before she slipped quietly down the corridor.

As soon as Gwyn was out of sight, and the light from her torch faded as well, Kili started pacing. Fili had settled himself near their bedrolls, and tried to sharpen his throwing axes. After the third time Fili nearly cut himself for lack of focus, he sighed and stowed his axes back in his boots and his whetstone back in his pack, and he joined his brother in pacing anxiously. Every few lengths of the little section of corridor the Company had claimed, one of the princes would look further into Erebor, trying to see Gwyn's torchlight brightening the gloom.

Just as Dwalin was about to bark at Fili and Kili to sit down, that their pacing was making him dizzy, they heard Gwyn's shrill whistle echo through the corridor signaling the all-clear. Before Fili and Kili could take off in a mad dash to confirm that Gwyn was alright, Thorin's voice stopped them.

"Everyone, pack up. If Gwyn's right and the dragon is truly gone, we should move into Erebor proper, rather than skulking in the corridors like goblins," he ordered. In the dim torchlight a hint of excitement could be seen shining in Thorin's eyes, although most of the dwarves excused that as their king being excited to properly see his home for the first time since the dwarves had been forced out by the coming of Smaug.

Many of their supplies had already been packed out of long habit, so it did not take long for everyone to be ready to move further into Erebor. Once everything was packed up, Kili carrying Gwyn's pack as well as his own, the dwarves and Bilbo set off to meet up with Gwyn. Fili and Kili led the way, rushing to see their One, with the rest of the Company keeping pace, even though Bilbo's burnt feet made that a struggle. When Thorin noticed how much trouble the hobbit was having, he gently scooped Bilbo up and carried him, startling a squeak out of the hobbit, and looks of surprise from everyone else.

Gwyn was waiting for the men at the end of the corridor, where it opened into what could reasonably called the treasury, her torchlight flickering in the vast cavern. As the dwarves and Bilbo spilled out of the narrow corridor their pace slowed and their eyes widened when they saw the immense piles of gold that made up the wealth of Erebor. Thorin gently set Bilbo down, before turning back to the glittering piles with a strange expression on his face. The hobbit, for his part, hobbled over to Gwyn, and the two of them began picking their way carefully down gold-strewn steps into the treasury proper. The clinking sounds of the coins shifting beneath Gwyn and Bilbo's feet startled the dwarves out of their reveries and they quickly followed after Gwyn and Bilbo.

When everyone reached the base of the stairs, the dwarves set down their packs in a relatively empty corner of the room, before they all broke off into different directions, Fili and Kili making for a small pile of gilded instruments, which they quickly tuned up and began playing, while the other dwarves sifted through their own little piles that they found interesting. The only dwarf that looked completely uninterested in the gold was Bifur, but that was attributed to the axe in his head, more than anything, but even he had managed to find some old toys that entertained him. Bilbo and Gwyn watched the dwarves, concern and exasperation warring in their gazes, before the two unoccupied members of the Company busied themselves setting up everyone's bedrolls in their preferred configuration, and laying out their supplies for dinner.

Once the Company's makeshift camp was set up, Gwyn took one of the torches and went to investigate the main gate of Erebor, to see what damage Smaug had done. When she reached the gate, Gwyn saw that it had been crafted of sturdy iron, which had been twisted beyond use by the dragon's size and his flaming breath. Stepping outside, Gwyn took a deep breath of cold evening air, the sun having just set beyond the western horizon. She had been starting to feel a bit claustrophobic trapped inside the Mountain. Gwyn looked to the south, towards Lake-Town, and a lump rose in her throat at the dull orange glow that could still be seen. She whistled a short tune, and within moments Rorka had flown from her nest to see Gwyn.

"What is it Little Princess needs?" the raven asked, cocking her head at Gwyn.

"Rorka, would you please fly to Lake-Town and survey the damage for me? Do not speak to anyone, but if you can I would like to know the number of wounded," Gwyn requested quietly.

"Of course, Little Princess. Rorka will fly and fly, and return with the answers to Little Princess' question," and the raven took off, flapping towards the orange glow that had formerly been Lake-Town.

Gwyn stayed standing in the gateway, looking to the south and praying to whatever deity would listen, that the number of wounded would be small. She barely noticed the sounds of footsteps getting close to her, until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind and a chin rest on her shoulder. Gwyn jumped, heart pounding, and spun around to face Fili. Kili was standing nearby, looking concerned.

"What had you so deep in thought, mizimel, that you failed to hear us approach?" Fili asked, eyes gentle and worried.

"Look to the south. Look at Lake-Town," she answered quietly, trying to slow her heart rate back to normal. Both princes did, and Kili instinctively moved closer to Gwyn and his brother when he saw the destruction.

"Mahal have mercy," the two dwarves breathed.

"I have asked Rorka to fly to Lake-Town to survey the damage, and to try and count the number of wounded. I am not sure how long that will take," Gwyn said.

"In the meantime, âzyungâl, come inside. Gloin managed to get a fire going using some old furniture, and your hands feel as though they are frozen solid," Kili said, and Gwyn looked down at their joined hands, having been so lost in her worries about Lake-Town again that she hadn't even noticed the touch. Gwyn let her two princes drag her inside, and they sat her down as close to the fire as they could, before wrapping her in a blanket and crowding close on either side of her.

As Gwyn warmed up, she saw that most of the dwarves had tired of their exploration of the gold, and were instead gathered close to the fire, especially when the cold night air began drifting in through the mangled front gates. The one dwarf noticeably absent was Thorin, who was still feverishly digging through piles of gold, obviously looking for something. _The Arkenstone_ , Gwyn's mind supplied as she watched, and the crazed look in Thorin's eyes when she caught glimpses of them caused a hard knot of anxiety to form in her belly. _He is so much worse, so much more quickly than I had imagined_ , Gwyn thought.

Slowly, the members of the Company trickled to their bedrolls for the night. Balin went over to try and coax Thorin away from his current pile of gold, but the king snarled at his friend and advisor to leave him be, and Balin was taken aback at the harsh tone. The old dwarf returned to the rest of the Company, shoulders a bit slumped, and he settled himself in his bedroll, and his snores eventually mingled with those of the other sleeping dwarves. Gwyn, Fili, and Kili stayed awake a bit longer watching Thorin worriedly, and waiting for Rorka's return. However, it became clear rather quickly that Rorka would not return with news that night, and so Gwyn and her princes settled themselves in their bedrolls and waited for sleep to claim them.

* * *

When the Company woke the next morning, Thorin was still sifting through the gold, and it was unclear whether he had slept at all. After the king's harsh words to Balin the night before, the older dwarf asked Bilbo to try and convince Thorin to leave off his search, at least for a while, to rest and eat. The hobbit managed to get Thorin to eat a few pieces of cram, but he would take no rest.

"Everyone, spread out. Find the Arkenstone. It is unlike any other jewel, you will know it when you see it," he barked. There was a bit of shuffling and clinking as the dwarves hastened to obey their king's order, but Gwyn, her princes, Balin, and Bilbo hung back, straightening up the makeshift camp.

"This is the gold-sickness, isn't it?" Kili asked Balin, voice barely above a whisper.

"Aye, laddie, it is," came the equally soft answer.

"Was Thror this bad?" Gwyn asked.

"Not at first, but the Arkenstone was all he thought of and worried about when the dragon came." Any further conversation they might have had about the madness was interrupted by the flapping of feathered wings, and Rorka's landing on Gwyn's shoulder.

"What's that raven doing in here?" Thorin demanded, having paused his search at the sound of wings echoing through the hall.

"I asked Rorka to fly to Lake-Town to survey the damage for me. I could see the town in flames last night, and I wished to know how many survivors there were," Gwyn answered.

"Little Princess is kind to be concerned for the Lakemen. There were many survivors, but many of them were burned by dragon-fire. They have no food and no shelter. They have made a camp of sorts near the edge of the lake," the raven reported.

"What of the dragon? Any sign of him?" Fili asked.

"Smaug the Terrible is dead, Golden Prince, his body is sinking below the lake," Rorka responded before flying off.

"So Bard was successful then," Balin said, remembering Gwyn's words to the bargeman when they first arrived in Lake-Town.

"Of course he was. But those people will need help. They have nothing," Gwyn said carefully, gauging the reactions from the other members of the Company.

"Lassie, I don't know if you've noticed, but we don't have many supplies either," Bofur said, brows furrowed.

"No, but we do have a lot of gold, which could help them rebuild their town," Gwyn responded.

"Absolutely not! We will not give anything to those Lakemen!" Thorin exclaimed.

"Why not? Gwyn's right, they have nothing, and they were kind to us before," Kili asked.

"This is dwarvish gold, and it shall stay that way! They have done nothing to deserve anything from us!" Thorin said, voice climbing in volume until he was shouting.

"Did you miss the part where BARD was the one to kill the dragon? I would think that that would deserve something," Gwyn said heatedly.

"If his ancestor had had better aim, my people would not have been forced out of our home!"

"But you have reclaimed the Mountain for your people! And the mark of a good king is his willingness to help his friends and allies!" Gwyn responded.

"Not a single piece of this treasure is leaving Erebor until the Arkenstone has been found! That is my final word on the matter!" Thorin said, before he turned away.

"Your _madness_ is going to get us all killed!" Gwyn shouted at Thorin's back. The dwarf king turned around slowly.

"What did you say to me?"

"I said, 'your madness is going to get us all killed!'" Gwyn repeated, making sure to emphasize the word madness. Gwyn noticed a subtle shift in Thorin's posture and instinctively braced herself, only moments before Thorin's arm raised to deliver a backhanded blow, which Gwyn quickly blocked. The entire Company was silent, watching the scene unfold. Gwyn's eyes were hard as she glared challengingly at Thorin, who glared right back at the impertinent young woman.

"Fili, Kili, you would do well to teach your _wife_ some manners!" Thorin spat, before he turned to stalk away. Gwyn could feel an angry retort rising in her throat, but she bit it back before things could get even more out of hand. She turned on her heel and fled down a side corridor, needing to be away from the others. Fili and Kili looked torn about who to follow, their uncle or Gwyn.

"Go after her laddies, let me deal with Thorin," Balin said kindly, and before anything else could be said, they were taking off down the corridor after Gwyn. They spent several long minutes looking for her, before they finally found her, curled up in a corner, crying. The two princes were unsure of themselves, because they had never seen Gwyn properly cry. They had seen her eyes filled with tears, yes, especially at their wedding, but they had never seen her sobbing, great shudders wracking through her body as she gasped for breath. When she looked up at them though, eyes puffy and red, they bracketed her with their bodies, pressing close to her sides, and Fili drew her to rest her head on his shoulder while Kili tried to rub her back soothingly.

"What makes you weep so, âzyungâl?" Fili asked softly.

"I'm scared, terrified really, of what Thorin's madness could bring. You heard Balin, Thror was only this bad at the end, right before the dragon came. How much worse will Thorin get?" she asked, hiccoughing around her sobs, her tears soaking Fili's tunic.

"Don't worry, pundurith. Balin said that he would talk to Uncle. I'm sure everything will be fine," Kili said, trying to be reassuring. Gwyn continued to cry in their arms, her sobs only quieting when Fili and Kili began to hum their song for her. After a few minutes of their soft humming Gwyn succumbed to her emotional exhaustion and fell asleep. The two princes stayed cradling their One between them, humming quietly, until she began to shiver in her sleep, cold seeping up through their bodies from the stone floor. Very carefully, Fili shifted so that Gwyn was fully in his arms, and then with his brother's help, he stood up, and the two princes carried their princess back to the camp and laid Gwyn on her bedroll. The other members of the Company were shocked to see Gwyn's puffy eyes and tearstained face, and Ori quickly used one of the water-skins to dampen a soft rag from Bofur's pack, and he passed the damp cloth to Kili. The dark haired prince used the rag to tenderly wash Gwyn's face, wiping away the traces of her crying, and then drying her face just as carefully. Wanting to stay close to Gwyn, Fili and Kili settled into their own bedrolls, even though it was just past midday, and ignored their uncle.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the massive long wait everyone! Real life and writer's block reared their ugly heads. But hey, at least I didn't abandon the story!
> 
> Warning: this chapter contains profanity and violence.

Gwyn woke up the next morning feeling more rested and refreshed than she had since before the Company left Lake-Town.  As she stretched, she cast her eyes about for Fili and Kili, but she could not see them, nor indeed could she see any of the others.

“If Little Princess is looking for the dwarves, Little Princess will find them in the armory,” Rorka coughed from her perch above Gwyn.

“Thank you. Would you mind leading me to the armory? I’ve not been there before,” Gwyn said, standing.

“Of course Little Princess.  Follow Rorka,” the raven said, before flying down a side corridor.  Gwyn followed Rorka through several twisting corridors and down two flights of steep stairs, before she could finally hear the voices of the men of the Company floating from a large room at the end of a dark hallway.

“Thank you Rorka,” Gwyn said, walking toward the noise.  The only response was the flapping of wings as Rorka flew back to rejoin her flock until Gwyn needed her again.

“What are you doing down here?” Gwyn asked, announcing her presence to the men.

“The ravens bring reports of a large army approaching.  We are arming ourselves in case they mean us ill,” Fili said, as he made his way toward Gwyn.

“Thorin has already sent word to the Iron Hills.  Let us hope they arrive in time,” Balin said.

“Did the ravens mention the size of the army?” Gwyn asked.

“No, only that it was large, and coming from the south,” Kili answered.

“Did they happen to be coming from the direction of Lake-Town, by any chance?” Gwyn guessed.

“Indeed, that’s what the ravens said,” Balin answered.

“There is no need to arm ourselves then.  According to Rorka, Lake-Town took heavy damage from Smaug before he was slain. They will most likely be looking to us for help, not war,” Gwyn said.

“But if it is just the Men from Lake-Town, why did the ravens report a large army?” Ori asked.

“The elves of Mirkwood were close trade-partners and allies with Lake-Town.  The Men most likely called on them for aid,” Gwyn said, omitting the fact that the elves had probably been on the move toward Erebor since the dwarves were discovered in Lake-Town.

“If the Men and Elves are allies, why would they turn to us for help?” Thorin asked, joining the conversation.

“It could be because Thranduil is a prick and turned the Men away as he turned you away when Erebor fell,” there was a low murmur of agreement from the men of the Company, “or perhaps the Men wish to build an alliance for the future,” Gwyn said with a shrug.

“Well, they shall have none of our gold,” Thorin said vehemently, “not while they treat with Thranduil and his ilk!”  Gwyn rolled her eyes and tried to moderate the tone of her voice when she next spoke.

“The Men of Lake-Town have just lost their home to a dragon.  Surely you can empathize with that?  Remember how it was when you sought aid from Thranduil and he ignored your plight? Would you do the same to the Men, who showed us kindness and gave us shelter when we needed it? Or would you prove yourself to be a generous king, one worthy of the loyalty of his people?” Gwyn asked.

“Gwyn is right, Uncle. And besides, think how it will stick in Thranduil’s craw, that we would readily give our aid to the Men, when he would do nothing for us, nor for them,” Fili said, as Kili nodded his agreement.

“I shall think on it, if indeed that is what the Men want, if only to see the look on that tree-shagging bastard’s face should I consent.  No doubt Thranduil has been poisoning the minds of the Men against us,” Thorin grumbled.

“All the more reason to be generous toward the Men, so that they will see the falsehood,” Balin said. Thorin nodded curtly, acknowledging the others’ points.  Taking the dismissal for what it was, the Company dispersed within the armory. Fili, Kili, and Gwyn splintered off from the rest of the group, seeing a pile of plate armor that looked from a distance to still be in serviceable condition.  As they sifted through the pieces, sorting them into smaller piles based on condition, type of armor, and size.  Gwyn was surprised when she found a cuirass and pauldrons that were designed for a woman, and they were etched with the same design as the rest of her belongings. She set them aside to examine further later.

“How are you feeling today, pundurith?” Kili asked quietly.

“Better. How is Thorin?” she answered.

“It’s hard to tell. After you left, Balin went and talked to him.  He seemed fine, until the ravens brought word of the armies amassing, then he brought us all here to arm ourselves,” Fili said.

“Has he mentioned the Arkenstone at all, today?” Gwyn asked.

“No,” Fili said.

“That’s a good sign, I think,” Gwyn said, “we’ll just have to see how he handles the Men and elves when they arrive.  That will be the real test of his fortitude against Thror’s sickness,” she finished.

“Indeed, but what if he denies them?” Kili asked, brows furrowed.

“I’m sure we can cross that bridge if we come to it,” Gwyn said, grabbing her princes’ hands and giving them a squeeze.

* * *

 

It was a further two days before Rorka flew into Erebor with the warning that the elves and Men were massing outside the main gates.  In that time, Gwyn and the others had lightly armed themselves, just in case, but Thorin had shown no further signs of looking for the Arkenstone or his gold-sickness, other than commanding the Company to build a barricade at the main gate. 

The Company stood on the ramparts, looking down at the armies of elves and Men.  They were arrayed in armor they had found in the armory, and Thorin wore his grandfather’s crown.  Even Fili, Kili, and Gwyn wore circlets denoting their ranks as princes and princess of Erebor.  As the Company looked down at the armies, Thranduil and Bard rode forward, Thranduil on his elk and Bard on a large white horse.

“Thorin, son of Thrain, King Under the Mountain, will you treat with us?” Bard called up.

“I will not speak to anyone who comes to my gates with an army!” Thorin shouted back. Gwyn cringed at the direction the encounter was already taking.

“We do not come for war, we come only to seek promised compensation,” Bard responded.

“Promised compensation?! Those promises were forced out of us for the sake of my nephews’ wife!  We bargained for her freedom!” Thorin roared.  Before anyone else could interject and escalate the situation even more, though, Gwyn cleared her throat loudly, while giving Thorin a pointed look. To her surprise and relief, he acknowledged her look with a small smile.

“However, my niece has reminded me that my people have known what it is to be homeless because of the dragon, and what it is like to seek help from those who would turn your people away, to face starvation.  You shall have enough gold to rebuild your livelihoods, and your town,” Thorin said. There were snickers amongst the dwarves at the look of shock spread across Thranduil’s face.

“I thank you, King Thorin, on behalf of myself and my people!  We are grateful for your generosity!” Bard replied, a wide smile spread across his face.  Then, he and King Thranduil turned their horses, to lead their hosts back to the ruins of Dale, where they had set up camp.  As they were riding away, a large raven, possibly the largest Gwyn had ever seen, winged his way to Thorin.  Thorin obligingly held out his arm as a perch for the large bird.

“What news have you, Roäc, son of Carc?” the dwarf asked.

“The one they call the Ironfoot will arrive within the hour, Dwarf King,” the old raven rasped.  Thorin then turned to Gwyn, one eyebrow raised.

“Well then, Gwyn.  What do you propose I tell my cousin Dain, whom I summoned to help defend Erebor against Thranduil and Bard, when he arrives to find that we are not at war with the elves and Men?  Shall I tell him to return to the Iron Hills?” he asked.

“We will still need the help of Dain and his army, if only to help clear the rubble from Erebor to make it habitable again,” Gwyn answered, pausing in her answer when she saw the sun flashing off the white feathers of Rorka’s wings as the white raven sped to where the Company was gathered. “Although, I suspect we may still need them in a military context, if Rorka’s bringing me the news I expect she is.”

“What news might that be, mizimel?” Fili asked.

“We’ll find out when she gets here. I don’t want to speculate,” Gwyn answered.

Sure enough, when Rorka alit upon Gwyn’s outstretched arm, she brought news of two orc armies making swift approaches, one from the north, and the other from the south.  Rorka also said that the armies would arrive on the slopes of the Lonely Mountain before the sun rose the next day.

“We should send word to Thranduil and Bard, to see if they will provide reinforcements, as a show of good faith in the new allegiance,” Gwyn said.  Thorin, miraculously, listened to the girl and sent Roäc to the two other kings to request reinforcements.

Before long, the rumbling of thousands of dwarven boots could be heard as Dain and his army arrived at the Lonely Mountain. When the army halted, one dwarf, riding a massive boar with gilded tusks and armor broke off to make a singular approach to where the Company was standing.  When he got close, Gwyn could see that his red hair rivaled Gloin’s for bushiness, although the new dwarf’s hair was styled into a mohawk that showed through the top of his helmet.

“Dain, son of Nain, welcome to Erebor!” Thorin called. Dain bowed deeply, after he had dismounted.

“At the service of you, and yours, Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain.” Dain replied.  Up close, Dain was a large, imposing dwarf, especially in his full plate armor.

“Now, Cousin, your message mentioned something of needing to teach some stinking weed-eaters a lesson or two about dwarves,” Dain said, cracking his knuckles, and looking over his shoulder to the elvish and Mannish encampments.

“Actually, my lord, we have reached an agreement with the elves and the Men,” Gwyn stated, not giving Thorin a chance to answer.

“And who are you, to answer for the king?” Dain asked suspiciously.

“She is Princess Gwyndolyn, wife of Crown Prince Fili and Prince Kili,” Balin announced.  Gwyn visibly started to hear the titles, but Fili and Kili each placed a hand on her shoulders and gave them a quick squeeze, which caused a small smile to tug at the corners of Gwyn’s mouth.

“That doesn’t answer my question about _why_ she answered in the place of the king,” Dain huffed.

“Actually Cousin, Gwyn was the one who brokered the alliances, so it was more her place to speak than mine,” Thorin answered.

“So if you don’t need my army to deal with the Men and the tree-shaggers, then I suppose I’m just to turn them around and go back to the Iron Hills?” Dain huffed.

“We will still need your help, Cousin. Erebor needs many renovations to make it livable again, after the Worm’s extended stay.  And we’ve received word from one of our raven scouts,” here Rorka puffed up her feathers from her perch on Gwyn’s arm, “that there are two orcish armies making their way here.  We would gladly appreciate any help you could offer,” Thorin said. Dain appeared to consider his options briefly, before he nodded and offered Thorin his hand. The two dwarf lords grasped forearms and knocked their foreheads together.

“My lads came prepared for a fight, and if we’re not going to fight elves then we might as well fight orcs!” Dain bellowed. His army behind him roared in agreement, bashing their swords and spears against their shields. As the dwarves were finishing their display, Thranduil and Bard returned.  The Elvenking raised an eyebrow at them as he rode past.

“Your messenger said you had urgent news. What is it you have news of?” Bard asked, when he and Thranduil had halted their mounts.

“Two orcish armies approach, one from the north and one from the south.  Their numbers are too great for us, so we humbly request,” there was a thump and a muffled yelp of pain, indicating that someone had been kicked in the shin or had his toes trodden on, “we humbly request your armies or whatever aid you can spare,” Gwyn said.

“Do you know when the orcs will arrive?” Bard asked.

“Our scout reported that they should arrive by dawn tomorrow, perhaps earlier,” Kili answered.

“And if we help you, what do you propose to give us in return?” Thranduil asked.  Gwyn rolled her eyes at the excessive pride of both elves and dwarves when she could see the dwarves gearing up for a shouting match.  Before either party could start arguing, Gwyn gave a piercing whistle.

“We don’t have much time for negotiations of remuneration. We request you fight alongside us in a show of good faith, a show of hope for the future once Erebor is restored,” Gwyn replied.

“How do we know that the dwarves will keep to their word if we help?” Thranduil asked.  Gwyn mentally put her head in her hands, thinking _The Elvenking is dancing a jig on my very last nerve. Luckily, I happen to know that I can happily take my frustrations out on several thousand orcs, who should be here within a few hours on the outside_.  Outwardly though, Gwyn merely gritted her teeth, and gave Thranduil a sickening smile.

“My lord, remember how I bested you, your guards, and your son in your dungeons?  Do you not think, then, that I could get the dwarves to keep their word?” At the reminder of how he had had the small woman in front of him whipped viciously and she didn’t cry out, or show any indication of pain, caused the pale elf’s cheeks to color slightly.

“Very well.  When the orcs arrive we shall fight alongside the dwarves of Erebor and the Iron Hills,” Thranduil proclaimed.  Beside him, grim as ever, Bard nodded.

“My people are fishermen, not warriors, but we will help nonetheless,” the Man said.

“There should be extra weapons inside Erebor, although I don’t think we have time to get them to the Men,” Ori said, looking at the sun, which was just beginning to dip below the horizon.

“We have weapons in the Ruins of Dale,” Bard answered, cracking a faint smile at Ori.

“If my news is correct, the army from the south, from Dol Guldur, will arrive first.  The second army, from Gundabad, will arrive later, once we are tired.” Gwyn said. The four lords each nodded, before agreeing to spend the night preparing for war.

* * *

 

The night was not a restful one, everyone was too worried about what the next day would bring.  Gwyn spent the night in the arms of her lovers, knowing what the battle would bring, and trying to figure out a way to change it.

As the sun rose on the eastern horizon, the armies of the dwarves, elves, and Men gathered together on the Desolation in anticipation of the orcs.  Soon, the ground began to shake beneath their feet, and many of the soldiers from each army looked around in panic.  Gwyn however, just shifted her weapons in her hands, a look of grim determination on her face.

“What was that?” someone asked.

“Weirwyrms,” Gwyn gritted out, “the orcs will be here soon.” A frisson of expectant energy swept through the gathered armies as they prepared to meet their enemies.

Only moments later that the first wave of orcs came rushing out of the tunnels created by the weirwyrms.  The orcs broke upon the first line, and more kept coming. Soon, the sounds of fighting and death filled the air.  Gwyn’s twin swords, Bramble and Thorn cut down orcs with every pass.  The sounds of metal clashing against metal and the screams of the injured and dying rang in her ears.  The smells of blood and filth and sweat filled her nose.  Sweat ran into her eyes.  She was glad she had allowed Fili and Kili to braid her hair especially elaborately, since she was sure it would be obscuring her vision, otherwise.

Even when she was fighting and cutting down enemies, Gwyn always kept a fraction of her attention on the dwarves of the Line of Durin. She saw Fili and Kili fighting together, and Thorin not far away.  Then she looked toward Ravenhill, where the orcs of Dol Guldur had their signals. Gwyn fought her way over to Gandalf, and pointed the signals out to him.

“Gandalf, if we destroy those machines, we can cause chaos amongst the orc ranks.  Can you contrive some way to set them ablaze?  I know you wield the Flame of Anor,” she gave him a wry look as she decapitated another two orcs, and stabbed a third through the belly.  Gandalf returned her look, and added a wink, to show his understanding.  Gwyn nodded sharply, before breaking away to fight alongside her princes.

Soon, true to his unspoken word, the great signaling machines of the orcs were in flame, collapsing into embers.  Gwyn’s grin was feral when she heard the confusion in the orcish ranks.  She continued to cut them down, her movements becoming automatic. _Parry.  Thrust.  Duck. Dodge. Repeat_. She was getting tired, but she forced herself to keep going, running on pure adrenaline.  Gwyn knew that with the signal machines destroyed, Azog and Bolg would soon make their appearances in the thick of the battle, so she resolved to keep an even closer watch on her Durins.  She knew she was injured, probably in several places, but as long as she could keep fighting she would.

Some time later, Gwyn had no concept of time anymore, especially since clouds had moved in to obscure the sun, and snow swirled in the air, mixing with the bloody mud on the ground to make for treacherous footing, the orcs from Gundabad arrived.  They poured in from the north, clogging the battlefield.

As Gwyn fought her way through the orcish reinforcements, she saw Azog closing in on where her princes and their uncle were fighting. Knowing what would happen if she didn’t make it in time, Gwyn ran as fast as she could, cutting down any orc in her path, including Bolg.  She united Bramble and Thorn after slaying Azog’s spawn, creating her double ended sword. She reached Azog just in time, using her sword to block a blow meant for Fili.  Without taking her attention from Azog, she told Thorin, Fili, and Kili to get back.

“Look at these dwarves, stinking of fear and hiding behind a woman,” Azog growled.

“You fucking piece of shit!  You’ll not come near them, unless it is over my corpse!” Gwyn gritted back.  The dwarves were shocked to hear her foul language, but they knew her, and they knew that Azog would be coming away the worse for this encounter.  Fili and Kili fervently hoped that Gwyn would come away from this fight at all.

The two combatants circled each other, warily eyeing their opponent for openings.  Gwyn swirled her double ended sword like a staff.  Azog brandished the blade that had replaced his claw prosthesis. They feinted at each other, sizing each other up, although Gwyn got the distinct feeling that the pale orc was toying with her.  He wanted to drag things out, to torture Gwyn, and Fili, and Kili.  Eventually, Gwyn saw an opening in Azog’s guard and she lunged for it, trying to thrust her sword through his belly.  He parried easily, but Gwyn recovered from his parry just as easily, spinning out of reach.  Orcs, Men, elves, and dwarves all stopped their fighting to watch Azog fight a girl who didn’t even reach his chest in size.  However, despite the size disparity, anyone and everyone could see that Gwyn and Azog were fairly well matched in terms of skill and ruthlessness. Gwyn took one of the pins that Fili and Kili had lovingly put in her hair before the battle and threw it at Azog, grateful that the elaborate hairstyle supported many of the dagger-like pins. The first pin cut Azog’s cheek, blood streaming down his chin.  The crowd around the two fighters gasped that Gwyn was the first to draw blood.

“Did you know, Bolg squealed like a frightened pig right before I cut his throat?  I would have cut his head off and brought it to you, but I was in something of a hurry,” Gwyn taunted.  Azog roared his response, and Gwyn just grinned her feral grin again, because Azog started getting sloppy. She ducked a swipe at her head, which would have separated it from her shoulders, and while she was close to the ground, drew one of the knives sheathed around her thigh and sliced it across the back of his knee, severing the tendons.  The great orc shifted his weight off his injured leg, and lashed out again at Gwyn.  He had swung out with his mace, and he caught Gwyn in the ribs, which knocked her off her feet and sent her flying.  When she landed, all the breath left her in a whoosh. 

Gwyn struggled to her feet as Azog tried to skewer her on his blade prosthesis.  She got out of the way just in time, managing to off-balance Azog.  She took the opportunity presented to her, and Gwyn rammed her sword through Azog’s chest, the tip of her blade emerging through his back. As Azog was gasping his last breaths, Gwyn drew him close, to snarl at him.

“You fucked with the wrong girl, and you paid the price, just like Bolg.  You will not be remembered as the Defiler, you will be remembered as dying on my blade. Killed by a girl, and a tiny girl at that.  How does that feel?” Gwyn got no answer. Azog was dead.

Gwyn kicked his body free of her sword, before swinging it around and cutting off the orc’s head.  She held the severed head aloft, and called to the orcs.

“Your leaders are dead and your numbers are decimated! You have seen the strength of Men, and elves, and dwarves!  We will not falter and we will not fall!”  Around her the dwarves, elves, and Men all let out battle cries, and set forth with renewed vigor to completely defeat their enemies.  Fili, Kili, and Thorin made their way to Gwyn while Dwalin protected their backs, although that was less necessary, since the orcs were being chased into retreat. Just as they reached her, Gwyn collapsed, blood oozing out over her armor in numerous spots.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this time, but I've already started on the next one, although I can't promise when I'll have it done.

When Gwyn woke up, her entire body HURT. Opening her eyes slowly, Gwyn saw a cloth ceiling above her head – she was in a tent.  A small whine slipped from her lips when she tried to shift on the hard cot she was laying on.  In a moment, Bilbo’s face appeared in her line of vision.

“Oh!  You’re awake! Do you need water?” When she nodded weakly Bilbo helped her take a couple of careful sips from a nearby cup.  “Fili and Kili will be so relieved that you’re awake! Oin finally had to send them to their own tent to get some rest.  Those boys wouldn’t leave your side, Dwalin had to practically clobber them unconscious to get them to go rest.  You gave us all quite a scare, Fili and Kili most of all, collapsing like you did.” Bilbo was fussing over her, making sure she had enough blankets, that there was fresh water in the pitcher near her cot, and scolding her all the while.  After a few minutes of his puttering, Bilbo poked his head out of the tent, and told whomever was standing guard to go fetch Fili and Kili and tell them that Gwyn was awake.

While she waited for her princes to arrive, so that they could take Bilbo’s place fussing over her, Gwyn took stock of her body. Her left arm was in a sling and held tightly to her ribs, which were also bandaged tightly, she could feel a splint wrapped around her right knee, and she had various superficial cuts, scrapes, and bruises littering her body.  In addition to those injuries, Gwyn’s muscles ached from overuse.

“How long have I been asleep, Bilbo?” Gwyn asked, voice hoarse.

“Four days.  Fili and Kili have been beside themselves worrying about if you would wake up. I only managed to chase them away this morning,” the hobbit said.

“What of the others?  Was anyone injured?” she asked.

“You were the worst.  I don’t think your armor will ever be clean of all the blood from your injuries.  Most of us took a few bumps and bruises, and some great brute knocked me on the head, which is still a bit bothersome, but by and large we’re all fine,” Bilbo replied. Upon hearing this news Gwyn sank back into the pillows in relief.  Before she could get too comfortable though, Fili and Kili burst into the tent, looking a bit wild until they saw that Gwyn was, in fact, awake.

The two princes looked exhausted, dark smudges under their eyes. They rushed over to Gwyn’s bedside, Fili sitting down gingerly beside her, a broad smile on his face. Kili on the other hand, stood behind his brother, arms crossed across his chest, frowning angrily. Kili spoke first.

“What in Mahal’s name were you thinking? Azog could have killed you! That was, by far, the stupidest thing you’ve ever done, and that’s including taunting the Goblin King!” Kili fumed.

“Kili’s right, mizimel.  Do you have any idea how difficult it was for us to watch you fighting the Defiler alone?  And no matter what we did, we couldn’t move to help you.  When you collapsed, Kili and I didn’t know what we were going to do if we lost you. Why did you fight him, Gwyn? Why couldn’t you leave him to us?” Fili asked, taking her right hand in both of his. 

“I couldn’t let either of you, or Thorin, fight Azog because he would have killed you, and I couldn’t let that happen. So right before the battle I spoke with Gandalf.  When he heard me give a certain signal, he was to cast a spell that would keep you safe. I only did that because I wanted to protect you, my loves.” Gwyn answered, refusing to let them make her feel guilty.

“You could have told us that, pundurith,” Kili said, “rather than having Gandalf magick us and making us watch as you fought Azog alone.”

“Would you have listened?  Would you have been able to stay away if Gandalf hadn’t magicked you?  I couldn’t take that chance,” Gwyn said, shaking her head.  Although Fili and Kili knew in their hearts that Gwyn was right, and they wouldn’t have been able to resist fighting alongside her, they couldn’t help but feel hurt that she hadn’t at least told them of her plan.

“You’re probably right, mizimel.  We likely wouldn’t have been able to stay away, but do you have any idea how helpless we felt when we saw you get hit by Azog’s mace? When you were knocked flying we were powerless to protect you.  It was horrible,” Fili said.

“I would have felt the same if you had been fighting Azog,” Gwyn answered, “you know how I just _know_ things, like I knew about the trolls and the goblins, and how I knew to have the athelas paste?  I _knew_ that if I let anyone from the line of Durin fight Azog, the Defiler would have ended the Durin’s line and Dain would be king and the Company would be preparing for yours and your uncle’s funerals.  I couldn’t let that happen.  Not when I had the means to prevent it,” Gwyn insisted, before groaning at the pain in her various injuries.

“Would you like me to fetch Oin for something to help with the pain, pundurith?” Kili asked anxiously.

“No, I’ll be fine.  Although I do rather feel like I’ve been run over by a stampede,” Gwyn said wryly.

“I don’t doubt it, pundurith.  Your left shoulder was dislocated, your right knee was wrenched, your ribs are cracked, and you’re absolutely covered in cuts, scrapes, and bruises,” Kili said, helping her sit up.  Bilbo returned then with a bowl of thin porridge and Oin in tow.

“So you’re finally awake, eh?  Took you long enough,” Oin said gruffly as he began his examination of his patient, “how’s the pain?”

“Reminding me that taking on Azog by myself was an idiotic idea.  I feel like a few of Dain’s boars have been tossing me around,” Gwyn said, grimacing.

“It was stupid to take on that brute by yourself,” Bilbo sniffed, “but Gandalf has been spreading a rumor that if you hadn’t, then something awful would have happened to the Durin line.  They’re calling you Orcsbane, now,” he said as he passed the bowl to Fili.  Relieved of his errand, Bilbo left the tent.

“A few of the royal suites managed to escape the worst of Smaug’s wrath, so if you feel up to it, lassie, I’d like to get you moved inside the Mountain, where it’s warmer than these damned tents,” Oin said as a gust of winter wind rattled the tent.

“We’ll move her after she eats something,” Fili said. As if on cue, Gwyn’s stomach gave a loud growl.

“That’s a good sign that you’re hungry, lassie. Aye, you eat, and then we’ll get you inside,” Oin said before he left.

“Do you want to try feeding yourself or would you like one of us to feed you, pundurith?” Kili asked.

“I’d like to try myself first, and if I can’t manage it I’d appreciate the help,” Gwyn said, as she used her good arm to prop herself up further in the bed and rearrange her other limbs into a better position for eating.  Once she was situated comfortably, Fili set the bowl of porridge on her lap, and she began to awkwardly spoon the porridge with her right hand. Several times her princes looked like they wanted to step in and help her, but Gwyn was determined to feed herself. Before long, the bowl was almost empty, and Fili went to get Oin to help transfer Gwyn into the Mountain, leaving Gwyn alone with Kili.

“My love,  I truly am sorry that I worried you by fighting Azog, but please believe me when I say that it was something I _needed_ to do. I had to protect you, Fili, and Thorin from Azog, and that meant I couldn’t let you fight him. Do you understand? It would have killed me if something had happened to you or your brother, or Thorin,” Gwyn pleaded, tears in her eyes.

“Why couldn’t you have told us?” Kili asked

“I already told you.  I couldn’t risk you not listening to me.  I couldn’t risk losing you,” she said, “I love you and your brother too much to risk that, and Thorin has already come so far and achieved so much in reclaiming the Mountain that I could risk _him_ losing _that_. I did it to protect all of you,” she said.  Before Kili could reply though, Fili and Oin returned, with a couple of Iron Hills dwarves bearing a stretcher.

“It would be easiest, lass, if these dwarves carried you into Erebor,” Oin said before producing a crutch from somewhere behind him, “but if you’re anything like anyone else from the Company, you’ll want to make it inside under your own power.”

“I’ll take the crutch, thanks,” Gwyn said, as she navigated getting out of bed for the first time since she was put in it.

“I figured.  As stone-headed as any dwarf I’ve known,” the healer said, handing her the crutch, which she took in her right hand.

“No need to worry about having to teach me how to use this thing.  I’ve had to use crutches before,” Gwyn said as she took a few steps around the tent to get used to the crutch. Soon, Gwyn was familiar enough with the tool that she nodded her readiness to make the trek into Erebor. Oin held open the tent flap for her, and with Fili and Kili at her sides, Gwyn took her first steps out of the tent and into the bright winter sunshine.

As Gwyn and the others made their slow progress toward Erebor, whispers began to spread amongst the milling dwarves, Men, and elves. _Orcsbane was awake!  She was walking!_ The word spread, and the crowd swelled, everyone anxious to catch their glimpse of the heroine who turned the tide of the great battle.  Then, someone bowed, then another person, and it spread, like a ripple, until everyone was bowing before Gwyn and her retinue.  This continued all the way into Erebor, and up to the royal suite that was to be her new home with her husbands, her princes.

After the doors to the chambers shut behind Gwyn and the dwarves, she managed to hobble over to the bed and all but collapse into it. She had used up her small reserve of energy to make it into Erebor, and now she was exhausted. As she fell asleep in the first proper bed she’d seen since Laketown, she could dimly hear Fili and Kili talking quietly amongst themselves.


End file.
